The contradiction at the heart of the European Commission
Are the people in charge of the EU’s bureaucracy politicians or technocrats?
THE ECONOMIST is fond of handy descriptions. Sometimes, we admit, they can be a bit obvious (“Xi Jinping, the president of China”; “Goldman Sachs, a bank”). Occasionally, they aim to amuse (“Homer Simpson, an American philosopher”, or “Popeye, a sailor man”). But coming up with one for the European Commission is distinctly tricky.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Politicians or technocrats?”
From the September 5th 2020 edition
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