LONDON — June is proving to be a traumatic month for Europeans and a busy one for their leaders.
First, there is the matter of electing a new European Parliament. Second, a new EU constitution must be agreed upon — or perhaps disagreed upon — by mid-month. Meanwhile there are copious summits, such as the imminent Group of Eight gathering at Sea Island, Georgia, an EU-U.S. summit in Dublin, followed by another summit meeting of European leaders and numerous other ministerial gatherings.
And what will be the outcome of all this activity? In the past it would have been reasonable to predict, and hope, that greater European solidarity and unity might be the end product. But today that hope looks forlorn.