Fantasy island

According to Ireland Online, seven European presidents have urged Europeans "to rebuild their trust in the EU" and plugged the benefits of the continent's (sic) integration in a joint opinion piece published in major newspapers across the EU.

These are presidents of Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Poland and Portugal, who have acknowledged the recent rejection of the proposed EU constitution by French and Dutch voters showed that "many citizens feel European policy falls short of their expectations".

Europeans, they said, believed the EU was too bent on regulations and took decisions without consultation. They fear for their futures since Europe is troubled by high unemployment and low growth, the seven wrote. "Now, the most important task is to increase trust in European policy," the article said. "We have to make sure everyone can understand the benefits of integration."

The seven said EU integration had already brought safety from war, prosperity and economic strength. They said the euro, which many Europeans blamed for price hikes, had contributed to low interest rates, monetary stability and lowering of transaction costs.

"Only together will European nations be able to hold their own in competition and successfully negotiate with countries like the USA, but also with China and India," they wrote.

For once, we believe, no comment is necessary. However, we do note that President Blair is not a signatory.