European Leaders ... Incompetent or Relucant?

No one doubts the incompetence of European leaders in sectors that require a European vision. The selfish provincial attitudes they evince are typified by their long running failure to create European adequate financial and monetary institutions. They are also illustrated in the failure to create a unified authority for European Airspace. Both these situations have continued for decades, despite appropriate proposals being made by the European Commission.

Such selfish provincialism has continually plagued the construction of the European Union. Repeatedly the 'political 'leaders' of the member countries of the European Union and the Euro-zone have used the European Council to frustrate any effort to delegate their geographically limited authority, or create the European agencies and instiutions, required to accomplish the tasks that can only be realised by adopting a coherent common policy.

Again and again, the political 'leaders' of European countries have deliberately sabotaged efforts to create coherent policies, objectives, and the institutions required to implement them in a timely fashion. One is forced to ascribe ignorance, stupidity, or wilful blindness, to many of the attitudes,  and limited vision demonstrated by our self-styled leaders. All too often, using honied words and elegant phrases, they also evidence an absence of political courage.

Too often, and since the creation of the Community, they have collectively failed to recognise the need to contribute more than words to the resolution of many pressing European issues; fearing their elctorates rather than leading their countries to contribute to constructive policies confronting real world problems.

Fortuately, there have been many individual exceptions who have recognised the need for Europeans to combine forces in the interest of all. And this, combined with the imperatives generated by the urgent need to urgently resolve crises has led to a gradual strengthening of Europe and its Institutions.

Neverteless, these observations shouldn't be construed as a criticism of the German Chancellor Mrs Merkel respecting the Greek crisis. Her caution and insistence on strict conditions being imposed on Greeks and the Greek government are entirely justified; even within the framework of the most generous European financial assistence. Again, even a desire to act purely in the interest of a wider Europe does not imply that one should necessarily accede rapidly to an alleged need to assist profligate liars who have difficulty in recognising their need for assistance, initially appeared unable to specify the funds required, and still need to acknowledge the need to reduce their expendirures appropriately.

Evidently Europe has to protect the interest of Europeans, but that does not mean that irresponsible spendthrifts have to be protected from the consequences of every caprice and self-ndulgence. European assistence, when extended, has to be in the interest of the whole; particularly when one attempts to help the manfestly incompetent. Mrs Merkel deserves much credit for not precipitately ceeding to market panic and the lobbying of interested lenders (recieving high interest for accepting risk they now want others to assume).

There is a need for careful reflection concerning the best way of handling the Greek financial crisis. In any case, in the interest f all Europeans, the minimum necessary conditions must be imposed. These require Greek recognition of the need to radically revise their expectations. They cannot expect, and cannot be allowed, to continue to run their 'Ponzi scheme' at the expense of fellow Europeans.

Links
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/world/europe/30europe.html?ref=global-home
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704302304575213850620375566.html?mod=WSJEUROPE_hps_MIDDLETopStories
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/10093758.stm