I'm not deaf and the Commission isn't operating in a parallel world of legal texts.

The good thing about the European Union is that the joint project ultimately benefits all Member States and not just a few.

But it is the best thing that we have for bringing the countries of Europe around the same table and for forging compromises so that people here can live in peace, freedom and prosperity. In a world which is growing closer together all the time, we can only survive and influence the rules if we join forces. We will miss the presence of the United Kingdom at this table.

My friendship with Martin [Schulz], by contrast, is completely different in that it goes far beyond politics.

I believe neither the French nor the Dutch really rejected the constitutional treaty.

I have changed the focus of the work of my Commission so that we no longer concern ourselves with trivial details and concentrate on the key issues instead. By doing that, we met a large number of the legitimate demands made by the British people. The Commission really did do everything it could to create the conditions for a positive campaign.

You can't have euro bonds without more interconnection among the national budget policies.