By BAGEHOT
DAVID CAMERON is in Brussels for the endgame of his terrific “renegotiation” of Britain’s subscription of the EU. For over 3 years this duedate has loomed over the prime minister–neverever less so than in the mad, last weeks, throughout which Mr Cameron has focused on little else, shuttling round the continent pushing the flesh and screening the limitations of the diplomatically possible. About now the prime minister and EU leaders are sitting down to talkabout his asks. The European Council will then return to the subject tomorrow earlymorning (over an “English breakfast” or maybe “brunch”, we are informed). By lunchbreak Mr Cameron will mostlikely have a offer.
If numerous are dealingwith this with portentous language, this is to be anticipated. Donald Tusk, the council president, appears as vulnerable to this as the media crowds event to report the top; “to be, or not to be together, that is the concern”, he tweeted a fortnight ago on the publication of a draft offer. Today he hailed the “make or break top”. And reasonable sufficient, one may believe. Mr Cameron, along with Mr Tusk and Angela Merkel, have staked their trustworthiness on a offer that the prime minister can sell to his celebration and British citizens in the run up to the nation’s in-out referendum.
Meanwhile some of their partners (France, the Poles and the Belgians, amongst others) mutter ominously about Britain lookingfor to cherry-pick the finest bits of EU subscription; of attempting to dine à la carte rather of taking the menu du jour. If Mr Cameron is seen to haveactually been too effective his renegotiation might push Eurosceptics (like the Danish People’s Party and Alternative für Deutschland), agitating for their federalgovernments to put on a comparable screen of brinksmanship.
The remarkable stress is increased by the unpredictability that swirls about the information of the bundle they will emerge with tomorrow afternoon. Will Mr Cameron protected a dedication to treaty modification preserving cu