2004, PARENTHESIS OR HOUR OF TRUTH.

Annus horribilis for the European Union: 2003, which opened to the sounds of war, ended in a rout. The fanfare of the Copenhagen European Council which formally opened the Union's door to ten new Member States had barely faded before this enlarging Union tore itself apart over the sagacity of crossing swords with Iraq. Skilful manoeuvring by the Greek Presidency prevented an open and public clash between the "old" Europe and the "new", but after the seemly Salonika Summit at the beginning of the Summer, the Italian Presidency proved incapable of managing profound differences on the draft European Constitution, merely papering over cracks in the false "consensus" claimed by Convention President, Valery Giscard d'Estaing. It did, however, manage to avoid a destructive public settling of scores at a European Council that nevertheless broke up in disarray.

However, 2003 is passed, hail 2004, though optimism is not the most widespread sentiment at this year's end. The Irish Presidency, which will take up the baton clearly feels ill equipped to repair the damage in so short a period. Too little time to secure concessions from the principal protagonists that must not be seen by domestic audiences as capitulation. Too little time to negotiate and wrap up a compromise before the launch in early Spring of national campaigns for European elections. After the Summer recess, the installation of the new European Parliament that emerges from the polls in June and the end of...