At sixes and sevens

According to EUBusiness, not an organization that can be accused of euroscepticism, not even in one's wildest dreams (the one in which both David Cameron and Gordon Brown are closet sceptics) the forthcoming European Council may well be a little rocky.

Soaring fuel and food prices posed a stiff challenge to EU leaders gathered for a summit in Brussels on Thursday, amid deep divisions over how to respond to growing calls for action.

Following Irish voters' rejection of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty last week, EU leaders are eager to demonstrate that the bloc can tackle the toughest issues and has not slumped back into a period of painful navel-gazing.

Why break the habit of a lifetime, say I, and stop navel-gazing?

The problem is that there are as many solutions to the problem of rocketing fuel prices as there are countries. Tax cuts or tax rises? Less regulation or more? EU-wide action or by individual member states? Short-term measures (always a good idea if you are a politician) or long-term but possibly painful solutions? New research, perhaps, but into what and with what results?

It will all add up to an entertaining couple of days, is my opinion.