Europe | The EU’s next six months

We have ways of making you talk

The Belgians, that is, now in the European Union’s chair

Jul 12th 2001|brussels

THERE is a children's game called “King for the day”, in which a lucky infant is allowed to boss everybody else around for that space of time. The European Union's version of this is called “president for six months”. Every six months a fresh one of the 15 EU countries is allowed to set the EU's agenda and to chair all its meetings. This rotating presidency does little to create continuity of policy or wider public appreciation of what the EU is all about. But it is politically necessary, and rather jolly for the country concerned.

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “We have ways of making you talk”