Economies are growing; unemployment is falling. From Paris comes an avalanche of ideas to reinvigorate the EU. In Berlin, a polite public reception for French president Emmanuel Macron’s expansive vision struggles to conceal an ever tightening grip on Germany’s cheque book. Is Europe, you wonder, about to miss a rare opportunity?
OP-ED
Philip Stephens: Europe’s choice – French ambition or German bean-counting
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron (R) attend a bilateral meeting in Brussels, on Oct. 19 on the first day of a summit of European Union (EU) leaders, set to rule out moving to full Brexit trade talks after negotiations stalled.
