Word: summits
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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From the beginning, last week's Common Market summit was called the "summit of modest expectations." Faced with the most severe complex of crises since the European Community was set up 17 years ago, the heads of the nine countries would succeed in Paris, according to one rather gloomy line of reasoning, if they did nothing more than agree to stay together. In the end, they did just that-and a little bit more-in what might be described as a summit of modest results...
After patient prodding by West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who within the past month seems to have emerged as West Europe's leader, seven of the eight were willing to give Wilson the talisman he needs to wave in front of the voters. France, which had called the summit, was less willing, and for a few hours, President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (see page 37) sounded more Gaullist than le grand Charles. "There can be nothing of this kind," Giscard acidly said about Wilson's demands at one heated bargaining session. "Conceding what the British...
...British papers, which have not had much cheer for Britons lately, did, in fact, trumpet the news. DISCARD BOWS TO WILSON, headlined the Tory Daily Telegraph. WILSON BATTLES TO A SUMMIT WIN ON POINTS, proclaimed the Guardian. A top Foreign Office official allowed that "we have turned the corner in the negotiations." "We have undoubtedly made progress," a pleased Wilson told reporters. "It was not easy. It was hard to get. But there was a considerable atmosphere of good will about to enable us to get it." Foreign Secretary James Callaghan moved up the government's timetable and said...
Even Giscard got something from the Paris Summit. The leaders agreed to adopt his proposals for basic institutional changes in the Community, which may eventually prove even more important than a decision by Britain to remain. Giscard received approval for a majority vote on most Community decisions. Until now, each country has been able to exercise veto power on even the most trivial matters; in the future, it will have the veto only on issues affecting its vital interests...
...regular meetings of the heads of government-or the European Council, as they are now called when they come together -with at least three sessions scheduled each year. As the host at last week's meeting, Giscard had taken elaborate pains to emphasize that it was not a summit in the usual sense, and he had asked that each leader look on it as if it were a meeting of his own domestic Cabinet. Only the heads of government and their foreign ministers attended the main meetings in the Salon de 1'Horloge of the Quai...