The EU Is Witnessing A Winter Of Discontent |
Is the European Union (EU) witnessing the foreboding of a winter of discontent? In France, Belgium and Italy—three of the 27-nation bloc’s historic founding member states—besides Portugal and Spain, peaceful public protests in recent weeks have acquired an explosive edge. Millions of ordinary citizens are making common cause over a wide range of basic concerns, from affordable housing to better education and high fuel prices. Strictly speaking, these are domestic issues that fall within the confines of national jurisdictions. Inevitably, however, the high-voltage protests in various capitals have spilled over into the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The dominant political groups in the 720-member legislature have begun trading hostile exchanges over the handling of the latest crises in different........