FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1998 All Rights Reserved.
| VIEWPOINT Labour's election victory was supposed to herald a new era of European engagement for Great Britain. Gone were the days of distrust and alienation from the mainstream of European politics fostered by Margaret Thatcher and John Major. Britain would once again become a leader in Europe, balancing the perceived control held by Germany and France. Taking on the presidency of the European Union for 1997-1998 was to be a demonstration of this renewed interest in Europe. In reality, Prime Minister Tony Blair has failed to escape Britain's EU legacy, but hope remains for European engagement by Britain at a very different level. Labour's European policy has not reverberated with the sense of negative isolation of Thatcher and Major, but neither has it completely broken with a past that sometimes left people wondering why Britain remained a member of the EU. Certainly, the EU is no longer concerned that Britain is only a member to inflict damage on the organization and limit its effectiveness. Blair's European engagement has been a slow and cautious affair that is a wonderful example of the nature of European politics. The recent conference in London for the countries applying to become EU members made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Angry at being left out of the process for so long that its application is now being considered at the same time as the half-state-half-conflict known as Cyprus, Turkey boycotted. Last-minute negotiations between Greece and France over allowing Cyprus to even apply for membership prevented the conference from being a flop. However, it was yet another example that success for the EU usually means simply avoiding abject failure for another day. The irony that a military alliance such as NATO could move faster at bringing its former enemies under its wing than the EU can move to expand its membership into Eastern Europe has not been lost on commentators. As such, Britain's presidency may be proof that Britain is ready to dismiss its rancorous past and play politics European style. A past that saw it rail against the reality of the minutiae-regulating Euro-crats that flew in the face of the EU's goals of monetary and economic freedom. Labour may be ready to play politics European-style by saying much and doing little, but there are still some rough spots ahead. Britain's most recent EU announcement demonstrated some of the conservative truth to New Labour. During the election, Blair promised to put an end to Britain opting-out of the EU's social charter. To date, Labour has only signed off on two of the charter's provisions, and Blair recently announced that it could not support new EU legislation that would require employers to consult with their workforces before making any important decisions such as a strategic downsizing. Britain's unions are furious at the refusal and so are the EU leaders. The legislation gives substance to the social charter and is intended to maintain cooperation between employers and unions during the economic upheaval expected during the introduction of the single European currency, the Euro. Blair's decision shows Labour is closer to the Tories' views on the workplace and Europe than it could ever admit. European engagement is moving ahead full-force at a most English level as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced it wants the EU to develop Europe-wide standards for the care of zoo animals. Revealing a report on the state of Europe's zoos designed to shock the animal-loving sensibilities of every true-blooded Englishwoman and man, the RSPCA announced it would be lobbying for the European parliament to set standards for animal care in zoos. An English issue being exported to the rest of Europe by bureaucrats is a wonderful example of how the EU works. |