The Street Clashes Essay, Research Paper

As leaders of the world Jacques Chirac (French president) and Lionel Jospin (Prime Minister) stepped out of their cars on their way to the EU summit coughing and with tears in their eyes. Although it makes some Americans cry, this is not a result in the lack of an American President. =0). But rather tear gas from a Basque separatist group named ETA. The group used rocks, wood and tear gas in their efforts to break through the ring of steel (policemen) encircling the Acropolis Center Where the 15 leaders of the European Union nations were meeting. In the street clashes, at least 20 police officers were injured and 45 of the rioters were arrested. Although this demonstration was uniquely similar to the chaos that was wrought on the Seattle meeting of the World Trade Organization by rioters last year, The ETA rioters seemed to have no central command and very little organization.

Ignoring the violence, European Union Leaders opened a three day summit well aware that if an agreement wasn t made as to how to share power could plummet the bloc into a state of emergency and postpone the hope of riding the continent of its Cold War Divisions.

The dead line is Sunday for the 15 EU leaders to on the biggest decision they ve made in decades, the task wont be easy bought great faith has been put in these leaders to do just that, make the right decisions. Germany and France are both split when it comes to the number of votes that each will cast when deciding the new European Union pollicies. Britain however wants to hold onto its power so that unwelcome legislature can be ignored. The smaller nations of the EU do not want their rights trampled on by Europe s bigger nations.

This article has a lot to do with Economics. If Europe does rid itself of the component of cold war, oil prices will not only go down but there will be less rioting and more attempts at bringing the nation to a state of peace.