The EU Gets Tough on Spain at the Wrong Time

The European Commission and the German government unexpectedly got involved in Spain's electoral campaign this week, committing a series of gaffes and strategic missteps that raise questions about their credibility. It began Monday when the European Union's economic and financial affairs commissioner, Pierre Moscovici, warned that Spain's projections for economic growth and deficit reduction were too optimistic and that Madrid could miss its deficit targets for 2015 and 2016. Spain will hold general elections Dec. 20, and the conservative government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is basing its electoral platform on the promise of strong economic growth. Moscovici's warning was probably meant to pressure the next Spanish government to continue along the path of reform, but it created a political firestorm in Brussels and Madrid....