Airstrip One

Romano Prodi Muses - 15th November 2002, 21.36

An occasional series on the musings of the Commissioner.

Prodi expanded on his earlier thoughts about the "ring of friends" by supporting further enlargement of the EU, citing Israel and Morocco as possible candidates. This was possibly stimulated by Binyamin Netanyahu's meeting with Berlusconi where he took leave of his senses and explored the possibility of accepting the euro or the dollar in place of the shekel and joining the EU. Yossi Beilin wonders how the right in Israel could be so wrong.

Netanyahu and Shaul Mofaz had barely settled into their new positions when they rejected the "road map," joined the European Union, dollarized the economy and served as living proof that when you let the Right be itself, it has no coherent agenda that can advance Israel's national interest.

Sharon begins to look sane by comparison.