The trade-offs behind the scene at Laeken

Minutes of backstage negotiations between the EU heads of state in Laeken, obtained by the EUobserver, shed a new light on European Summit talks and unveil how the EU leaders argue with each other. Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi wanted to exchange the EU arrest warrant against the seat for the European Food Authority, while French president Jacques Chirac proposed that “Sweden gets the seat for a European model agency,” as they have beautiful girls.

The Belgian prime minister...