Europe’s fragmentation endangers a vital Trans-Atlantic pact (1)

First of two parts

THE Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, appears to be faltering after 18 months of negotiations. If a deal is not reached, or if it is watered down so much that it has little effect, then internal divisions within Europe will have yet again prevented the Continent from following the course that would aid it the most. The ongoing slide into stagnation will continue to fuel the fire of Euroskeptical parties offering an alternative to the European Union.