Do you know what it means for me to see for the first time in 50 years a French European commissioner in charge of the internal market, including financial services, including the City [of London]?
The domestic debate about regulation in the UK has also in some ways even overtaken that of continental Europe
Mr. Barnier is also not France's representative on the European Commission. Legally, it's not a gray area. Individual commissioners do not pursue the national policies of their country.
President Sarkozy must surely recognize that he has undermined the EU with his statements and put a question mark over the impartiality of his nominated commissioner that will not be easily dispelled.
We didn't really want to be up all night dry-cleaning the Tricolor for him
They wanted to visit, but it was too much trouble.
Let us not forget that the British banking disaster has significantly endangered London's role in global finance
The hostilities against banks were opened by Brown-Darling, who tried to sound populist and to obfuscate the fact that under their watch, banking regulation was emasculated.
The scandal over Jean Sarkozy was a very personalized example of the way many of Sarkozy's actions are not only displeasing the public, but particularly alienating his base of conservative voters who no longer feel he's defending their values or political interest
His biggest slump has come among conservatives seeing aspects of that activity they don't want any part of with some now complaining 'this wasn't the kind of leadership I voted for.'