"The one reached today is a positive agreement, a step forward" for Europe: Janez Jansa, current president of the 27 member States, commented the conclusions of the EU summit in relation to the Treaty of Lisbon, and drew up a balance of his presidency semester. He declared to be "satisfied" for the results obtained, "even though, for us, everything was new, since we were the first country to lead the Union, among the ones which joined it recently". "For me, it was a remarkable challenge, but I think it is for every country. Moreover, we had to face several unexpected elements": and he listed the Irish rejection of the Treaty, price escalation, and "problems in Western Balkans". He talked a lot about the inflation theme. "We looked for answers in the short, medium and long run, and the Commission was entrusted to define a framework of operations. But those are matters which cannot be solved in a hurry. For instance, as for energy, we should take into consideration gas and oil supply as well as the saving aspect, and sustainable sources, searching for new technologies". Finally, a hint to the green traffic lights for the entrance of Slovakia into the Eurozone: "I think it is a remarkable and important sign, saying the European Union works and goes on". (To be continued)
