Old Europe blames Britain for EU summit failure

Britain is getting bashed again by France and Germany - Old Europe - for refusing to follow their lead on European matters. The European Union summit, marking the end of the six month presidency of Luxembourg, ended in failure to agree on a 870 billion euro budget for the period of 2007-2013. French center right daily newspaper Le Figaro reports that French President Jacques Chirac, German Gerhard Chancellor Schroeder and Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker all designated UK Prime Minister Tony Blair as responsible for the summit failure.

Britain will hold the EU's rotating presidency for six months, from July 1-December 31, 2005. In addition Britain is the 2005 chair for the G8 group of leading industrialized nations that meet on a yearly basis to discuss pressing international issues. The London Telegraph political editor Patrick Hennessy said that Chirac is planning to disrupt both Britain's EU presidency and Blair's hosting of the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland in July. He said that Chirac had vowed to make things as tough a possible for Blair after the two men fought each other to a standstill and traded insults over Blair's refusal to renegotiate Britain's 3 billion pound per year EU budget rebate unless Chirac agreed to renegotiate the Common Agriculture Policy which pays big subsidies to French farmers.

The Telegraph reports that Chirac will fight any UK led attempt to begin wide ranging economic reforms of the Union during Britain's EU presidency. Chirac also plans to arrive late to the G8 summit, a day after it starts. German Chancellor Schroeder said that a (budget) agreement would have been possible except for the "inflexible" position of the British and Dutch. It should be noted however that the UK and the Netherlands both pay proportionately much more to and get less from the EU budget than France.

The Telegraph notes that Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major as well as current PM Blair all tried to put Britain into the heart of Europe, only to end up isolated. Blair in particular has made concession after concession to the EU in hopes of winning influence. He reversed the UK's long standing opposition to an EU military capacity outside of NATO. He ratified the Amsterdam and Nice treaties, discarding the British national veto in many areas. He adopted EU Social Chapter rules, reducing the UK's competitive advantage. But none of it was enough.

Germany and France, both with over 10% unemployment, sluggish economies, and restive electorates found it easier to blame Blair for the summit failure over the budget rather than have a serious discussion about the future course for Europe after the French and Dutch peoples massive rejection of the proposed EU Constitution.

Long time readers of Tomorrow World magazine know that Bible prophecy indicates that Britain will face continued opposition, sniping and criticism from a Europe that eventually will become a power to rival the United States in world affairs. This latest spat between Old Europe and Britain is part of a series of events that will conclude with the UK being isolated, along with the United States, in opposition to a resurgent Europe that will seek to impose its own elite-driven view of order on the world. Stay tuned to Tomorrow's World for in-depth understanding as events unfold.