Europe in the sign of Mozart. The conference named "The Sound of Europe", which took place last weekend in Salzburg, the birthplace of the Austrian composer, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of his birth, provided food for thought about the future of integration. It is in this frame of mind that Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, President on duty of the 25-country EU, summoned personalities from the political, economic, cultural and artistic worlds, to reflect on the "values and the journey of the EU, in the light of the new challenges thrown by extension and globalisation". The report that set the trend for the two-day meeting had been given by the Paris’s Head of Government, Dominique de Villepin. The French leader took his cue from acknowledging that "Europe is actually going through a difficult time"; a "decision-making" crisis as well as an "identity crisis". De Villepin said, however, he is confident that "Europe has always turned crises into starting points for new revivals". "To find the way to overcome this deadlock and pursue its fate", the EU must invest resources, knowledge and ideas in different areas "so as to fulfil the actual expectations of its population": he made a few examples, such as security, research and university, culture ("through the best promotion of the European heritage"). In addition, he considers essential, in their matter-of-factness, the areas of health care, energy and economy.
