BBC news last evening stated that 17 EU member States (IIRC) get more out of the EU budget than they put in each year, so the majority of EU member states will still want to see the budget carry on growing won’t they? Thus EU Commission will find it very hard to get majority agreement to any cut in the budget.

If I could see my poorer economy being propped up by these EU central subsidies I wouldn’t be inclined to agree to any freeze or cuts, I’d want the budget to grow and grow as it would be in my interest.

Conversely, richer economies that have previously underwritten the poorer States now find the wider recession makes it harder to justify “spending” money outside their own economy when they will see no real benefit.

I think it is only now that leading States like Germany and France are starting to realise just what a monster they have created in their drive for a Federal Europe, both in terms of the single currency vehicle and the enlarged EU itself.

The diversity of economies, and expanded membership, mean the original “EEC” ideals may not fit as well as they once did?