"A lot to swallow
Dec 16th 2004
From The Economist Global Agenda
On Friday, the European Union's leaders are expected to agree to start membership talks with Turkey. But they will do so with trepidation, for their rich western club will find it difficult to absorb such a big, poor Muslim country
THE European Union is looking something like a stuffed banquet guest. This year, it accepted ten new members, mostly from poorer, post-communist central Europe. Though hailed as a triumph of east-west reconciliation, the enlargement was far from easy. Taking in the new members required big changes to Europe's institutions, and the newcomers will need years of subsidies and reforms to catch up with the old members. And just as the digestion of these new members begins-and talks on swallowing other wannabes, such as Bulgaria and Romania, continue-comes the prospect of the biggest new dish of them all: Turkey. Despite their queasiness at the prospect, Europe's leaders are likely, on Friday December 17th, to agree to offer Turkey a date to start membership negotiations. "
More:Economist.com | Turkey and the European Union
