Fighting for perks

last updated 8 January 2015

Rome

Leaders of old and new Europe started bickering this week over how much power they would wield in an expanded European Union. The E.U. will grow from 15 to 25 members next May, when the former communist countries of eastern Europe join, and the bigger group will operate under a new constitution. A draft constitution was formulated in June after 16 months of debate, but some of the new members are now having second thoughts. Poland, for example, objects to a revision in how many votes each nation can cast; under the previous system, the Poles would have had as many votes as the much more populous Germany. France and Germany are threatening to cut cash subsidies Poland is set to receive unless it falls into line.