The dull fact about the new EU posts

The problem with the new posts of EU president and foreign minister is the difference between their symbolic power and the political reality, writes the daily The Independent: "The European Union, along with the majority of its advocates and critics, long ago fell in love with symbols. It wanted a single figure for Europe that citizens could point to, a single figure whom President Obama could ring when he wanted to talk to Europe. The problem with symbols is that, by definition, they can never survive contact with reality. The dull facts of these jobs barely resemble the grandeur of their stated purpose. But, in the end, we simply do not want a single figure running a pan-European foreign policy, any more than we want a European head of state. This event was always likely to be hubristic. The disconnection between the symbol and the reality has made it a little unsettling, as well."

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