The defining moments of this year's World Economic Forum were, for me, neither the hopes of peace in the Middle East nor the pledges of additional assistance for Africa. I have heard both too often before. The inspiring moments were, instead, the statements by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister and, still more, by Viktor Yushchenko, the newly elected president of Ukraine. Both leaders declaimed their countries' European destiny.

By virtue of their size and location, Turkey and Ukraine are much the most important countries now requesting entry. Many in the European Union hope to wake up from these twin nightmares. If they had been in that hall, they would have realised the magnitude of their delusion.