For too long, decisions have been taken behind closed doors - tablets of stone have simply been past down to people without bothering to involve people, listen to their views or give them information about what we are doing and why.

If the constitutional treaty is rejected it will be back to square one, just at a time when we want Europe to be a more effective force for good in the world, when we need to buttress ourselves against the pressures and insecurities of globalization.

Essentially we need a new social consensus for economic reform as New Labour has achieved in Britain.

I believe that if you treat China as an enemy, then it is likely to become one.

I think Europe is going in the right direction and we shouldn't be set back.

What we have to do is reinvent the idea of Europe.

I'm optimistic that we are actually seeing the opportunity of a generation being created in this.