editorial cartoons

Economic reform in Europe; Blair has called for a major debate on this and is making 'better regulation' a key theme of his six-months in charge of EU business. Have the chances of achieving the reforms which he, and some others, say are vital been killed off by the French No vote on the constitution, given that many people voted against it because they feared it was an 'Anglo-Saxon' plot to undermine Europe's 'social model'? Or could a victory for Angela Merkel in Germany's general election in the autumn tip the balance in the direction the Brits would like? And looking further ahead, what if Sarkozy replaces Chirac as French president in 2007? Can this be seen simply as an Anglo-Saxon (cold, hard managment, free-marketing, cutting red tape) vs. Norman/French ('interventionist social Europe') view of how Europe should be managed? Can Blair overcome Chirac's resistance to economic reform, or is Chirac safe, drinking in the good life in the old French way in his "Forteresse Europe"

E! Sharp cover; September-October 2005

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