European Voice is announcing its intention to make an award to recognise outstanding leadership in the European Union: the European Leadership Award 2012.
Those shortlisted are Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, Mario Monti, the prime minister of Italy, Radek Sikorski, the foreign minister of Poland, and Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council.
It may seem strange, but the EU sees itself as a soldier of the common good. Why is a group of countries whose share in worldwide CO2 emissions is only 12% – and set to decline fast – aspiring to global leadership on the issue, despite US inaction and emerging-market countries’ reluctance to commit to binding emission-reduction targets?
In part, the EU’s stance reflects the preferences of European public opinion. In part, it arises from internal politics: to press ahead with its agenda enables the EU to strengthen its hand vis-à-vis the member states. In part, there is the hope that by moving fast, Europe will acquire a comparative advantage in low-carbon technologies.
” —Jean Pisani-Ferry, on extending the EU’s emissions-trading scheme to aviation.
Europe’s political left is incensed by the the cuts in social and welfare programmes, but seems to accept the political consensus that there are no alternatives.
