In his proposal on the financial perspectives 2007 -2013, Tony Blair was shrewd enough to make a few concessions to practically all of the other Member States, to try to reduce the risks of outright opposition of principle much as possible. Inevitably, these concessions go against the spirit of Community ambitions, as the Presidents of both the Commission and the European Parliament have pointed out. José Manuel Barroso described the draft as unacceptable because it is unrealistic, as being...