Sink or swim time for EU as leaders sail choppy water

Were they there to protect them, or to make sure no one else jumps overboard and decides to chance it on their own? 

François Hollande

Given recent developments, it was a fair question to ask, as EU leaders took a ‘relaxed’ boat cruise along the Danube, surrounded by at least 12 military defence boats, two helicopters, and dozens of balaclava-wearing police snipers.

The event — indeed, all of the public events yesterday, from the choreographed family photo to the joint press conferences, to carefully chosen words such as “challenges” to describe escalating crises — was meant to show it is full steam ahead for the good ship EU.