A Queen for Europe?

In the giant anthill of the European Union, thousands of worker ants march in all directions, each of them guided by its own inscrutable purpose, bumping and climbing over each other — all of them contributing to an overall impression of chaos. But here the allegory ends, because if the European Union was an anthill, it would already be subject to the will of an omnipotent queen, who confidently reigns at the nexus of all the scent trails of power — not so the EU, which has only just begun to ponder on the choice of its leader.

Some want a strong, charismatic politician, like British ex-PM Tony Blair, others favour someone less conspicuous, a Mr Average, who would be easier to accommodate and manipulate. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Jan Peter Balkenende, are usually ranked in this second category.

The competing camps are ready to hold forth on such high-flown topics as Europe’s best interests, the need to strengthen the global position of the EU, and to protect the interests of small countries, which may be undermined by the designs of larger states — and all of their arguments are served hot, in a mouthwatering solidarity sauce. But in fact, this window dressing only serves to distract attention from a tug of war in the corridors of power.

The smaller EU countries support the weaker, lacklustre candidates because they are afraid of the hegemony of a revamped French-German alliance, costly contributions to counter global warming, and a concentration of power in Brussels which would undermine national governments. The European heavyweights, on the other hand, want to throw off the shackles of budgetary discipline and push the EU in a new direction. All the parties are busily promoting their vested interests. Absorbed in backstage intrigues, they have lost track of Europe's interest along the way….

M.Z.