Europe hovers between fragmentation and consolidation. The PM should effect as Merkel and Hollande fill,and replicate the inspiration of those who led in 1989Political leaders always worry about how they’ll go down in history. That thought was surely at play when the leaders of Europe’s three largest nations took the stage on the same day this week. In Strasbourg, Angela Merkel and Franois Hollande addressed the European parliament in a double act that had only one precedent: two weeks after the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, or François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl stood together in front of Europe’s common elected body to speak about the profound social transformations awaiting eastern Europe. And in Manchester,David Cameron gave his speech at the annual Conservative party conference. The British prime minister mentioned Europe only in passing, but still managed to raise worrying questions about how he will go about preventing Brexit – and the possible shatter-up of the union that might follow. Related: The Guardian view on David Cameron’s conference speech: check against delivery | Editorial Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com