Steve Martin Becomes President of Europe
Someone once said that Steve Martin is the unlikeliest of comedians, with an appearance so dull that he could be mistaken for the Prime Minister of Belgium. The current one, Herman Van Rompuy, certainly fits that description. After featuring in the early speculations on who would be chosen as the first permanent President of the European Council, it was announced today by the last person to hold the temporary title, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, that Van Rompuy had indeed been selected. In its breaking-news article, CNN called Van Rompuy “the first president of Europe”, which some non-Europeans might mistake for a literary title. The fact of the matter is that Europe is still a continent of independent nations, not another United States of America, and Van Rompuy will have no practical say in the affairs of the member states. Or will he? In all honesty, it is still not quite clear what the job means, but it looks like the European Union has elected a “monarch”. Whenever the U.S., Russia or China wish to negotiate with Europe, they’re gonna have to sit down with Steve Martin who gets to convey what the real leaders, the presidents and prime ministers of Europe, tell him.
So, who is Herman Van Rompuy? BBC Newsnight sums it up nicely in the clip above… although they feel a need to include an animated, farting Belgian pig, just for the hell of it (and don’t miss an opportunity to point out that the Prime Minister’s last name is not pronounced “Rumpy”). Van Rompuy is a conservative choice, a man who’s managed to hold Belgium together, which I’m sure is a quality that will come in handy in future E.U. quarrels. He’ll likely make a fine President (although his stingy attitude towards Turkey might spell problems), but I’ve become more of a Euro-skeptic over the years. This project that started out as an admirable attempt to prevent future wars and tear down trade barriers is increasingly taking steps toward turning Europe into one nation, which (considering the many different cultures across the continent) will never work. The fact that ordinary voters never had a say in the choice of Van Rompuy is rather symbolic of how we do business in the European Union. All that was missing from today’s ceremony was the white smoke rising from St. Peter’s Square…
Not only does Europe have a new President, but Javier Solana will be replaced as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (in short, E.U.‘s foreign minister) by British nobility. The current E.U. Trade Commissioner, the Baroness Ashton of Upholland, or as we know her better, Catherine Ashton, will match the President. He’s from the right, she’s from the left. A Labour politician, she is a former Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council (to non-Brits, let’s just say those fancy titles come with influential positions). Exactly what she brings to the new job in terms of experience is unclear, but her previous titles have gravitas. And I particularly like the fact that she has advised Boston Legal on legal matters… but I’m not sure I can trust Wikipedia on that info. Anyway, the clip above shows her answering tough questions on BBC’s HardTalk.
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A few thoughts on politics in the U.S. and, occasionally, elsewhere. All goodies brought to you by Stefan Hedmark.