Pessimism reigns over Europe. The left, having made the European constitutional treaty its latest ideological banner, is still looking for the right words to say to explain the popular No votes in France and the Netherlands. The centre-right, although celebrating the victory in Poland of a reformist and liberalising political force, is nonetheless trying to digest the reluctance of German voters to accept harsh realities and the urgently needed reforms.

But pessimism should be overcome. It is not too late to change gear in Europe. Immobility and soft or decaffeinated leadership is the worst possible prescription. We must find a way to cope with existential pressures which include the threat of terrorism, the risks of economic decline, the perils of a demography characterised by an ageing population and an insufficient birth rate and the persistence of bad ideas about how to face the future.