Major Corporations Write EU's Script

The real power in Europe isn't wielded by MEPs or by unelected officials, but by male-dominated corporations.

"It is little wonder that José Manuel Barroso is seldom seen without a grin on his face these days. For the European commission chief is one of the luckiest guys in international politics. First, the appointment of a low-profile Belgian as the EU's first permanent president has meant that Barroso will be able to keep on behaving as if he is the most powerful man in Brussels. And now, it looks likely that Barroso won't need to lose any sleep about assembling his new team of commissioners (even if they don't formally start work until January, a few months later than originally expected).

To a large degree, the hearings in the European parliament which Barroso's new team is required to undergo will amount to a tedious charade. The real power in Europe isn't wielded by MEPs or by unelected officials but by male-dominated corporations. If you don't believe me, here's an exercise I recommend. Click on the website of BusinessEurope, the umbrella group for major companies, and read a few of their policy papers. Then check the European commission's statements on the same subjects; if you can spot any substantial difference, you deserve a higher reward than I can afford to give you.

Both Barroso and Thumann want lower wages (though not for themselves, of course) and measures that curb the influence of trade unions. The former seeks reforms on labour relations to make Europe more competitive, the latter indicates that it's necessary to "contain wage pressures" to stimulate exports. Despite their claims to the contrary, it seems that they wish to start a process whereby Europe's welfare states begin to implode, condemning millions of men, women and children to greater hardship. The commission's recent calls on many EU governments to cut public expenditure suggest, too, that this is its agenda.

Without doubt, Barroso will make some efforts on the public relations front to persuade us that he cares deeply about social and environmental issues. The expected appointment of a commissioner for climate change is one such ploy. Nobody should be fooled by these efforts, however. Barroso may be adept at smiling for the cameras but that's exactly what you'd expect from an actor reading a script written by the captains of industry."

They also write the Democrat and Republican script as well.