Ahh, budgetary matters! True poetry! Nothing like that to send your audience to sleep! Nothing drier, more perplexing, more depressing. And nothing more important either. It’s not surprising that the European states have committed these matters to a community level. It’s up to them to do the spending, and the Commission has the role of spoilsport. A nice division of tasks…

How could one speak about a European public opinion knowing that Europe hardly catches people’s interest and that the “don’t have any opinion about the question” option of European public surveys still rates an astonishing percentage?

While things are getting hot concerning the future of Europe and the definition of its frontier, another type of enlargement is happening, peacefully and discreetly. Since January 1^st, 2008 the Euro zone has two new members. After Slovenia beginning of 2007, it is now Malta and Cyprus’ turn to adopt the single currency. In deed the secretaries of finance of European Union have decided this last July, 10 that these two small countries met the convergence criteria designed to ensure price, long term interest rate and currency stability as well as the public finance balance.

As lingering in the streets of Paris, you would certainly have noticed billboards with this striking catchphrase: « Europeans, your voice will have the last word too ».

If one doesn’t read carefully the content of the text, one might believe this to be a new counter-attack against the institutional referendum decided by Nicolas Sarkozy to ratify the Reformed treaty. Nevertheless, there is the logo of the city of Paris standing next to the stars circle, and the comments referring to the municipal elections. Then, one finally understands that this does not consist in a Europhobic propaganda like what is being spread on flyers all around Paris, but in a positive campaign for Europe and for the Europeans.

Let's discover ou new rubric "The EU in short" : the EU and its more important steps are explained in a very simple language; straight to the point !