August 2014
66 pages
1h 27m
English
By George Parker and Alex Barker in Brussels
This article was first published on December 9 2011
A storm-lashed night in Brussels gave way to an icy clear morning and a new Europe. David Cameron, UK prime minister, stared at his phone. Around the room, other European leaders were still deep in conversation, picking over one of the most dramatic nights in the European Union’s history.
Le Monde’s headline summed up the overwhelming mood: “L’Europe à 27: c’est fini.” Der Spiegel delivered the verdict: “Bye, bye Britain.” In the UK, Conservative MPs hit the airwaves to salute Mr Cameron’s decision to veto a new European treaty to shore up the ailing euro.
Lawyers will spend months picking over the ramifications of ...
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