Thus spake, or wrote, Benedict Brogan in The Telegraph yesterday. In essence he poses an unanswerable question; what, exactly and precisely, does our prime minister think should be our policy towards Europe? Or, more succinctly, what's his plan? Do you know? Does anyone know? Does David Cameron know? Well, I don't know about you and anyone else but I am now absolutely convinced that Cameron hasn't a clue! He steers his canoe downstream, it requiring far too much effort to actually paddle upstream, and by dextrous use of his paddle attempts to keep the rickety craft more or less in the center of the flow so as to avoid being entangled in the nasty, rough banks on either side in which lurk hidden rocks and over-growing brambles. That 'policy', if you can call it that, helped him take the leadership of the Conservative party, allowed a coalition with the Euro-fanatical LibDems and until recently has kept the subject out of the headlines. But now, alas for him, the stream is narrowing and the water is flowing dangerously faster.
Massive and irrevocable changes are afoot in Europe forced on them by current economic and fiscal woes. At long last the truth is slowly seeping out in Germany despite the very best efforts of muddling Merkel who is determined to cloud Greek issues until after the German election next autumn. You only need to skim the headlines in Der Spiegel over recent days to get the flavour:
Self-Deception in Berlin Impedes Greece Strategy
Coalition Parties Demand Clarity from Merkel
Germany's Trouble With the Truth
At last the German people, as opposed to the obfuscating politicians, are beginning to realize that they have to pay for Greece, or, Greece has to go! And even if it is the latter, they will still have to pay because they and their banks have lent fortunes to the Greeks. Amazingly, according to Spiegel, Merkel personally still rides high in the polls although her party has tanked. But at least you can discern what she wants and how she intends to get it. She will keep prevaricating up until she wins the next election and then she will join forces with those who want a United States of Europe.
Compare that to Cameron where no-one can discern anything. He is due to receive a bloody nose at the European budget meeting this week. He will come back and proudly wave his veto whilst knowing full well that the 'colleagues' will simply raise the budget anyway under emergency procedures and the UK will probably pay more than if they had agreed to a compromise increase in the first place! Of course, he might claim that his hands are tied by his coalition partners but he, himself, has stated that he would never vote in favour of Britain leaving the EU. And so, like the sulky kid with no friends, left alone in the playground sadly kicking a stone round in circles, he will be ignored as the 'colleagues' carry on regardless knowing that he lacks the will to do them any damage. Pathetic isn't really the word but I can't be arsed to look for a better one. Too, too depressing!
