Everyone expected both bad news and good news in the days leading up to the European Commission's release of recommendations on Turkey's candidacy for the European Union. But not like this.

The expected bad news was that commissioners would face a difficult judgment over how well Ankara has done in harmonising its laws and norms with those of the EU. That fear is not materialising. Ever since the Turkish parliament met last weekend to pass an ambitious penal-code reform, Günter Verheugen, the European commissioner for enlargement, has been hinting at a green light when his report is released next Wednesday.