Charlemagne. Rules of the Brussels club

Populism and the economic crisis are exposing the EU’s struggle to discipline its members.

Writer says that the EU has great power to transform the internal workings of countries seeking membership. The so-called Copenhagen criteria demand of candidates that they have functioning market economies and institutions that can guarantee democracy, the rule of law and the protection of minorities. But once countries join, the EU’s means of enforcing such requirements are comparatively weak. This is something of a paradox, given how deeply the EU permeates the lives of its citizens.

The big question defying EU enforcement is the euro. The Greek crisis cruelly exposed the EU’s inability to police the budget-deficit limits imposed by the stability and growth pact, which is meant to underpin the single currency. Now the EU is looking for more credible punishments against rule-breakers.

ESO: Background information: Eurozone crackdown on public finances‎ http://www.europeansources.info/record/eurozone-crackdown-on-public-finances%e2%80%8e-germany-backs-tough-eu-deficit-rules/

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