The genius of modern Europe is to have honed protectionism to such an art that in the minds of many Europeans it is synonymous with civilisation itself. It is hard to imagine that some of Europe’s greatest cities – Venice, Antwerp, Amsterdam – were founded on the riches of free trade, when the current epitome of European cultural achievement is the bottle of so-so French wine which holds its place on the supermarket shelf thanks only to subsidy and tariff.
One can see that EU protectionism has certain benefits for the producers – although not in the longer term, since there is a resultant tendency for their businesses to evolve into Mickey Mouse enterprises. But what benefit can possibly accrue to the consumer? Plenty, according to the German consumer affairs minister, Renate Kunast. She has come up with the novel theory that bargains in the shops are bad for customers.
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