Economic governance: a tale of two polls

A new poll published yesterday by the German Marshall Fund of the United States makes for interesting reading.

With a few exceptions, majorities in the eurozone countries said the euro has been a bad thing for their economy, including France (60%) and Germany (53%), but also Spain (53%) and Portugal (52%). Italians were divided on the benefits of the euro with 47% saying the euro has been good and 48% saying it has been bad for their economy. Only the Dutch (52%) and Slovaks (64%) had majorities saying the euro has been a good thing.

Unsurprisingly, a full 83% in the UK thought that using the euro would be a bad thing for the economy.

But perhaps just as interestingly, the poll found that a plurality of EU respondents (46%) believe that in dealing with the current economic crisis, each country’s national government should have primary responsibility. Roughly two-in-five EU respondents (39%) said that the EU should have primary responsibility for handling the current economic crisis.

Only in Germany did the majority (54%) agree that the EU should have the leading role in economic decision-making. The French were divided on the issue, with 47% saying the national government and 43% saying the EU should have the primary responsibility.

This certainly makes an interesting comparison with the Commission's recent claims that "75% of EU citizens want more European economic governance", based on a rather creative interpretation of its Eurobarometer survey, which we have debunked before. EUobserver notes that the results "sharply contradict" the European Commission's interpretation.

Respondents were only asked whether or not “a stronger coordination of economic and financial policies among all EU member states” would be effective to combat the ongoing crisis (see p. 38 here). The question didn’t even mention the role of the EU or the term “European economic governance”. The Commission got its 75 percent figure by adding up the respondents who thought that stronger coordination would be “very effective” (26 percent) and those who only thought it would be “fairly effective” (49 percent).

Herman Van Rompuy's taskforce clearly has a very difficult job on its hands if it's to convince people on the need for greater economic governance.

Reading The SRM

If you are a regular reader, you might notice that, for the first time, something has displaced our dedication. A poll. I love polls. I'm afraid my readers don't. Please indulge me this time. I am really very curious whether Sikhs actually read the SRM (Sikh Rehat Maryada). And when I get curious, I take action.

This is not a scientific poll, but any means. To begin with, my readers hardly represent a cross section of the Sikh community. First, you are probably at least semifluent in English. And you are online. And you are not put off of a publication with "Khalistan" in the title. So I am aware that you are an elite group.

Nevertheless, this will give me some idea if anyone actually reads this document. It's not very long; I think I read it in two sittings. It is available at the link given in both English and Punjabi. So, please, take this survey.

A point of interest, my own dear Dad never accepted the SRM or the SGPC, considering them both artifacts of British occupation. I find the SRM to be an imperfect, flawed document. It is, however, the best we have and I accept it and try to follow it. Right now the Panth has more pressing problems than revising it.

Someday, that will need to be done, but it can wait. My poll cannot. Please take it now!

The pictures are a little bit interesting. I googled on SRM Pictures, curious (of course!) at what would come up. I frankly found the first picture offensive and decline to use it. These are the next three. The painting is from a Thai Sikh site; the Photographs are from Sikhwiki.