Some powerful organisations are headed by a cabinet, others by a supreme council or board of management. The 20 commissioners who run the European Commission, however, are called "the college". This title, with its academic and ecclesiastical flavour, captures the outfit's self-image. The commission, part executive and part civil service, sees itself as far more than a mere branch of government. It is the embodiment of the "European idea" and the disinterested guardian of European law. While the countries of the EU vulgarly battle to promote their national interests, the commission stands above the fray and identifies the general good. And while national governments are riven by internal rivalries and political infighting, the multinational college sails on serenely in a spirit of good-fellowship.
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