EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT.

• Position: Brief article

The "latest protectionist declarations," particularly by French President Nicolas Sarkozy who criticised relocations to the Czech Republic, ended up convincing Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek to organise on 1st March an extraordinary summit of the 27 member states - rather than just the Eurogroup - to coordinate the European response to the economic crisis. He announced the decision in Prague, on 9 February. The initiative was confirmed during Topolanek's visit to the Commission, on 11 February. The objective is to review the measures taken so far under the recovery plan and to try to identify a coordinated approach in the run-up to the European Council of 19-20 March, which will lay down the...