Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Spain Does An About Face?

Click on the title for an interesting article from the IHT about the shift in wind in some circles of the European community.

Since Tony Blair began his charge at European Union leadership and reform, the Spanish Socialist prime minister has started detaching himself - in what looks like a series of inconspicuous little surgeries - from the Gerhard Schröders and Jacques Chiracs that Spain judges no longer hold Europe in their grip.

PM Zapatero doesn't seem to trust the French. But he does seem to know and understand that in the end, it will be Britain and the USA that will stabilize Europe.

The PM also understands that new leadership is probably going to take over in Germany, soon. Then France will be isolated even further. I think that even though the Iraq war is still being fought, they now realize that France was willing to risk the reputation (if not the safety and security) of all of Europe, all for the opportunity to make some illegal money and remain in Saddam's pocket.

There is nothing wrong if Zapatero changes his mind and sees the error of ways. As long as he sees that a French-driven Europe is a recipe for disaster, I don't care how he spins it, how he explains it, or even how he does it.

Europe deserves better than leadership under Jacques Chirac, and his Gaullist buddies. Europe just may be ready to draw that conclusion, too.

But hey, read this article. It makes some interesting observations, worthy of further thought.

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