It is almost ironic that the postion the EU created for Catherine Ashton as head of external affairs, which was referred to by José Durrão Barroso as the answer to Kissinger's remark, is now formally stepping up towards the US to demand explanations on the latest hints on spying actions. This, in parallel to formal diplomatic moves from that same EU's member states Germany and France, presumably for the interest of those countries' own purpose.
I wonder how the US State Deparment will instruct the NSA to prioritize the thus three pending queries and whether anyone on the receiving end will compare the answers. I suppose the UK should probably also press release it's discontent to avoid people thinking it was not equally surprised. Then again, maybe Catherine Ashton's service to the union is to avoid yet another potential divide within the EU between spy-worthy and simply uninteresting member states which have nothing to offer to US intelligence (hence Kissinger's view on realpolitik).
At the same time, most, but not all, high representatives of European multilateral and individual institutions formally get together to welcome Hrvatska as the 28th EU member state, roughly shifting physical borders back to where they once were at the time the Habsburgers were blocking the Turks of the Ottoman empire. Makes one wonder whether the EU and Croatia are opening or closing a chapter, doesn't it ?
Turkey, co- founder of the Council of Europe (not to be confused with a European Council) and already part of the EU's Customs Union (for most, but not all matters) commenced EU membership negotations at the same time as Croatia, but recently the formal progress on acession was blocked by Germany and Austria and the reason for that would not be the internationally contested occupation of part of Cyprus, although Greek Cypriots are currently contemplating the purpose of EU membership, whereas many within the EU continue doubting the presence of Greece, which in turn continues struggling with the name of Macedonia, while neigbouring Albania and Serbia dispute the independence of Kosovo, next to Europe's youngest revived monarchy Montenegro. And then we have not even shifted to other corners within the EU, where nations like Scotland, Catalunya or even Flanders and Wallonie appear to want to surface what we thought to have been buried.
With such a scenario, I do not think Europeans have much to fear - in the political arena - of outsider attempts to get some insight information before anything happens.
As far as inidividuals' cyber rights (and obligations) are concerned, do note how the Council of Europe (that is the outer circle in the diagram below) has been leading the inclusive debate, bringing software developers, all European governments and society in general, together. That may be a long or even a never ending journey but possibly with a clearer view of the road ahead than for some of the inner-circles Another nobel peace prize laureate in the make ?
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