Divergence and Convergence: A Preliminary Analysis of the European Council of 22-23 November 2012

The failure of the EU summit of 22-23 November 2012 has been the object of diverse interpretations, with some observers considering that there was insufficient pressure to forge an agreement, while others underline that the pressure was too great for a common position or compromise to be achieved on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-20 (MFF 2014-20). This paper analyses the positions of –and main cleavages between– the leading players that led to the summit’s failure, highlighting the questions that must be solved to enable an agreement on the MFF 2014-20 to be reached in the coming months.