By which I mean that as the lights go out over the European ballroom so that the grand brilliance of les temps perdu fade into memories one last couple remain linked inextricably, first turning this way, then that, because neither of them knows who is leading - economics or politics!
I know, that's quite enough metaphors, but it is fascinating to watch as the economists, divorced from political realities, insist that the answer to the problem of the euro can only be found via the issuance of a euro bond which will tie the 17 nations into a supra-national governence. Meanwhile, the politicians, who hitherto were swept off their feet by the economic union, are suddenly becoming aware of the deeply unpleasant, to them, attentions of a former jilted lover, otherwise known as - The People! Because the fact is that whilst the idealistic politicians believed - and they really did believe because after WWII they really wished to believe - that all nationalistic yearnings would wither on the vine of plenty nurtured by the EU, in fact, nothing at all has withered, indeed, if anything, nationalistic yearnings are growing rapidly. The Greek detestation of Germany is only matched by German contempt for the Greeks. One thing is for sure, and was confirmed by the drubbing of Mrs. Merkel's coalition partner in yesterday's Berlin election and the sudden leap in popularity of a hitherto fringe party on the back of its stated desire to leave the EU, the German people are definitely not minded to pick up anyone else's unpaid bills, irrespective of what the economists tell them.
Hitherto, the politicians have succeeded in bullying and chivvying the people along the chosen path like so many cattle being led to a supposed open pasture but now the herd is beginning to realise that the pasture is actually a prison. So politics and economics continue their dance until soon, perhaps very soon, the music stops!
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