A splash of bravado

摘要

When the European Union's foreign and defence ministers vowed, on May 18th, to deploy their navies against north African people-smugglers, they clearly meant to sound firm and decisive. But in reality, this is a risky effort to satisfy conflicting political imperatives: voters want to banish from their screens the disturbing images of drowned migrants washing up on beaches, but without having to accept too many newcomers.