The headline should have been "...versprechen.", not "...sprechen" - entirely different verb.


The EU has neither the experience nor the budget nor the mission to do what Barroso wants. The European powers are very surprised by the developments, here's a summary:

Germany
7% of our oil imports come from Libya and North Africa is popular among German tourists. There aren't much more links.

UK
Had close ties to Ghadaffi's regime (dunno why), is embarrassed - Cameron wants to play over this by feigning the resolute contra-Ghadaffi man.

France
Had close ties to Tunisian regime and has close ties to Algerian regime. Got caught in the turmoil and embarassed. Sarkozy is unable of strategy and still doesn't seem to have selected a new path.

Italy
Had a strange love-hate relationship with former colony Libya, and its almost autocratic Berlusconi is way too close to Ghadaffi. Italy has the advantage of not being embarrassed by such minor issues any more; Berlusconi and the Mafia provide much greater embarrassments all the time.

Spain
Really, really busy with economic and fiscal woes.

Greece
Same as Spain.

Eastern EU members and Benelux
Afaik not really involved.

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Barroso would need a broad support from these governments for major actions in this affair, and he's not going to get it. The EU cannot simply go to a bank and get the money for an adventure; it must not have any deficit. It cannot raise taxes either; all its money comes from the member states.