COMMENT José Manuel Barroso is in buoyant mood. Suntanned after a summer break in his native Portugal, the European Commission president has returned to Brussels vowing to take on the “europessimists” whom he claims secretly want him to fail.
The political landscape seen by Mr Barroso from his 13th-floor office in the heart of Brussels’ euroland is fruitful. The European economy has accelerated to its fastest growth for six years – at last matching that in the US – while Europe is acting decisively (if belatedly) to keep the peace in Lebanon.
