There is a tremendous penalty in votes for any government that has the guts to try. Margaret Thatcher of Britain used what political acumen and capital she had to try to reverse the policies. In the end, she succeeded only in half-reversing them. The other European leaders must have watched and seen her partial success. But they faced electorates that were in no mood to give up what had already been taken for granted over the years. The problem had become entrenched for many of these European countries.
