The battle lines are being drawn again in the struggle for a European constitution. Twenty member states of the European Union met in Madrid last week to pledge loyalty to the constitutional treaty derailed in 2005 by No votes in the French and Dutch referendums. Seven stayed away, or sent junior diplomats to observe the enemy manoeuvres, including Britain, France and the Netherlands.

It would be nice to see this as a simple clash between idealistic federalists who want ever more integration in the EU, and sceptical realists who think the EU has gone far enough down that road.