What oft was thought

Until The Week magazine invited us to its 2004 opinion awards this past March, I was unfamiliar with the magazine. Having taken a look, I was impressed by how well the magazine serves its intended role as an honest broker of information and opinion for readers in a hurry.
Last week its Briefing addressed the E.U. constitution. Regarding the constitution, the Briefing notes:

It was written over a period of years by bureaucrats intent on pleasing all members and offending no one. (One sentence reads: “If the mutual assistance recommended by the commission is not granted by the Council or if the mutual assistance granted and the measures taken are insufficient, the Commission shall authorize the Member State with a derogation which is in difficulties to take protective measures, the conditions and details of which the Commission shall determine.”)

In Brussels today, it appears that the summit meeting of EU-country foreign ministers is producing a commitment to carry on the kind of long twilight struggle they believe in now: “EU backs off vow to ratify constitution by late 2006.”

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