Debates that "have a tonic effect on Europe". The spirited and often dramatic debates surrounding the hurdles to the creation of a harmonised financial market, takeovers, golden shares and asymmetry in the process for deregulating the energy market have a tonic effect on Europe. I am not referring here to what has so far been achieved by these debates (moreover, everything is still in a state of flux) but to the fact that the Community institutions are arguing passionately, conflicting...