  This paper enfolds a medius analysis for the Stokes equations and compares
different finite element methods (FEMs). A first result is a best approximation
result for a P1 non-conforming FEM. The main comparison result is that the
error of the P2-P0-FEM is a lower bound to the error of the Bernardi-Raugel (or
reduced P2-P0) FEM, which is a lower bound to the error of the P1
non-conforming FEM, and this is a lower bound to the error of the MINI-FEM. The
paper discusses the converse direction, as well as other methods such as the
discontinuous Galerkin and pseudostress FEMs.
  Furthermore this paper provides counterexamples for equivalent convergence
when different pressure approximations are considered. The mathematical
arguments are various conforming companions as well as the discrete inf-sup
condition.
