If national governments habitually blame interference from Brussels for their economic ills, then it should come as no surprise that electorates eventually believe them. This happened in the UK some time ago and it is happening on the European continent now. The kind of Europe that political leaders such as Gerhard Schroder and Jacques Chirac regularly portray a conspiracy of free-market zealots out to destroy social justice is a Europe that holds few attractions to continental European electorates.

The No votes in France and the Netherlands last week were partially the result of a long history of political misinformation and ritual abuse of European institutions by governments. The cause of many of the EU's present difficulties is persistent dishonesty and misinformation about Europe.