"The EU history is fuelled by discontinuity rather than straightforwardness, and exciting times are usually followed by times of gloomy resignation". Roberto Santaniello, director of the Milan’s delegation of the European Commission, interprets for Sir the current deadlock of the EU institutions. "We come from recent success stories, such as the introduction of the euro, the extension to the East and the signing of the Constitution, but at the same time we have seen the interruption of ratification of the Constitutional treaty and we have seen the problems of approving the Financial prospects for the next years. We must say the EU history has never stopped, not even in such hard times as this; but nowadays it is clear that a stronger plan, a cut above, are needed". According to Santaniello, "the budget agreement, that is certainly unsatisfactory in financial terms, shows how agreement can eventually be reached, just on the most delicate subjects. Now the onus is on the Austrian and Finnish chairmanships, and even more on the German one in the early 2007, to relaunch the EU and the journey towards the Constitution. But citizens must be involved, participatory democracy and the European identity must be strengthened". Santaniello has written, with Bino Olivi, the book "Storia dell’integrazione europea. Dalla guerra fredda alla Costituzione dell’Unione" (History of European integration. From the Cold War to the EU Constitution), which will be presented in Milan in the afternoon.
