Well, it is not going to happen during the British Presidency. The EU is not going to be reformed and become a liberal-minded, outward looking, free-market oriented collection of independent states.
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Actually, we haven’t exactly been promised all the above but we were told by Prime Minister Blair a.k.a. saviour of the world and friend of all moderate Muslims, wherever they may be (unless they are in Iraq or Israel) that his presidency will produce reforms and change the course of history.
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It is true that he did not actually specify what those reforms were going to be but they were definitely going to change something or other.
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The first hurdle was going to be CAP and its reform or, even, abolition. We know what has come of that.
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Indeed, French politicians are openly and gloatingly proclaiming that CAP benefits every single citizen of the European Union.
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So much for outward looking reformism. Most of us haven’t noticed the benefits and there are many people both inside and outside the European Union who have noted some serious disbenefits.
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Budget reform was never a starter and institutional reform, the essential prerequisite, was not even mentioned. My own suspicion is that Blair does not understand how the EU works and how its legislation is passed and implemented. If so, he is at one with all members of the House of Commons, many of the civil servants and almost all commentators.
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