28.7.04

A Aliança Franco-Alemã contra o mercado livre

The Franco-German Alliance Against Market Freedom, por Grant M. Nülle.

Inclui uma (muita generosa) referência a Durão Barroso:

Occasional rows aside, the German and French governments have coordinated their positions closely, especially on the composition of the European Commission, the EU's executive body. Rebuffed in their attempts to plant Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, a continental-minded politician viewed as sympathetic to Franco-German plans for a regulations-laden Europe, as the Commission President, Messrs. Chirac and Schröder acceded to the compromise candidate, Portuguese premier José Manuel Durão Barroso. No sooner had the free-market oriented (relatively speaking) and Atlanticist Barroso been confirmed, did France and Germany publicly demand important economic portfolios in the new Commission that will take office this autumn.

While Barroso cannot begin allocating jobs until later in July, Paris is eager to land the competition dossier, as that office has routinely arrested France?s state-directed bailouts, mergers and protection of monopolies benefiting the likes of Crédit Lyonnais, Bull, the leading French computer-maker, Alstom and government-owned Electricité de France.

Germany covets the new "Super Commissioner" for industrial and economic affairs job. Essentially a Commission vice-president, the post would oversee all economic portfolios.


É caso para dizer, very relatively speaking, indeed...