As a Europhile, I’ve watched the rise of the burgeoning EU with some dismay. Let me elucidate. By Europhile, I mean someone who enjoys the cultural differences found among our continental neighbours. So much so, that retirement in France has become a certainty. I take pleasure in riding a motorcycle through remote mountain roads whether they are in the Alps, Pyrennees or the Montemuro. My problem is the EU. Now the idea of a common market had some logic and I could run with that idea. As a traveller, the common currency and open borders policy have a practical advantage when compared with some of the difficulties I encountered a couple of decades ago. But – and here’s the rub – what is the price?
It’s with some dismay that I see yet again, the whole edifice is tearing itself apart over the appointment of Signor Rocco Buttiglione. I don’t know the man – but his views on women and homosexuality are distinctly out of touch with the modern world and suggest an inappropriate appointment. So, having screwed up once more, the EU, its (unelected) commission and the parliament are wasting our money debating the appointment. Should I laugh or cry?
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