Treading the world stage Yet this is not a time for the usual Brussels name game. The idea of a permanent president of the European Council was resisted by many smaller countries. But now it is being created, it would be ludicrous to fill it with a minor figure; a Juncker or a Schüssel. To the outside world—India or China, say—the president will speak for Europe. If the EU wants to be a serious global actor, that points to a world figure. Unless Ms Merkel steps forward, which is improbable, the only such person in the running is Mr. Blair.
And there are two other arguments for him. First, he would disprove the notion that senior EU people must come from countries that join in all EU policies, including the euro, defence and justice and home affairs.This line was used to block Chris Patten as a commission president in 2004. But in an increasingly multispeed Europe, it would rule out nominees from more than half the EU countries. The EU president will not represent his government—indeed, though Mr. Brown says he backs Mr. Blair, few believe he is wholly sincere. If the criterion is “Europeanness”, France, Italy and Germany should be disqualified as they are the worst offenders when it comes to breaching EU rules. Europe might end up being run only by Belgians and Luxembourgeois.
Mr. Blair has a second advantage: he would remind the notoriously sceptical British that they are important players. This worked only up to a point with Roy Jenkins as commission president in the late 1970s. Three decades on, a British EU president would give pause to those who maintain that Britain never has any influence in Brussels. As one top Eurocrat sums it up, “the boldest choice for Europe would be the three Bs: Blair, Barroso and Bildt.” If it works in classical music, why not for Europe?
The usual method of effectively applying foam on a fire is by ().
It is usual to identify the fluids in pipes by bands of paint at intervals, and the engineer should familiarize himself with the code in use.According to the above sentence, which of the following statements is true?()
When yon()an agent,it is usual to()the appointment in writing.
The usual number of single-acting pistons used in a variable stroke axial-piston pump is ().
The outbreak is spreading ______ usual for want of transport to take victims to hospital, and basic medicines for those who do manage to get there.
The piston crown employs the usual jet-shaker principle with an arrangement of cooling bores in the crown so that the surface temperatures of the crown are moderate with a very even distribution()
Tom: So, ______ ?
Boris: Oh, nothing much. The usual things, you know.
Tom: Mm… still working at the same place, I suppose?
Boris: Yes, that’s right.
The usual symptoms of cavitation in a centrifugal pump is ().
A section of the river that is narrower than usual and is often navigable from bank to bank is a().