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04 EU gaffes provide cheap headlines
Hot on the heels of the Olympics closing ceremony, British tabloid editors suffered paroxysms of rage at yet another sign of EU ‘tyranny’. The European Commission spokesman Reijo Kemppinnen provided post-Games headlines by stating that the EU had “swept the floor” in Athens with a combined total of 82 gold medals. While Europhiles might have treated such comments indulgently, the Euro-sceptic press was convinced that this was the latest evidence of “superstate” ambitions in Brussels. Romano Prodi, departing European Commission President, only compounded the insult in the eyes of The Sun in a press release that mentioned his hope that in 2008 he would see EU countries bearing “the flag of the European Union alongside their own national flag as a symbol of our unity.” This offered them the latest proof that he is: “a dangerous megalomaniac whose aim is a European superstate.”
While the right-wing press is always keen to seize on any sign of malign intent on the part of Brussels, opposition to the European agenda, and specifically the proposed new European constitution, comes from across the political spectrum. Many on the left consider that the constitution is a blueprint for a “businessman’s Europe”, which will whittle down protection for workers and slash funding for welfare benefits. This sits oddly with fears on the right that the EU threatens to hamper Britain’s labour markets with a mass of red tape and enhanced rights to strike for workers. Such opposition on both left and right across Europe means that the pro-constitution camp face an uphill task in the various referenda and parliamentary votes over the next year. This is the case even in countries such as Germany and France, which are portrayed in the British press as quintessentially pro-EU. More than anything else, the statements from the Commission indicate that functionaries there are yet to grasp the depth of resentment felt towards them.
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