The Eurozone has clearly gone spectacularly wrong, pulling down all the continental economies.

After saying yes to Turkey, the EU is having difficulty finding clear and consistent grounds for saying no to other, still more remote candidates - but being in the general vicinity of Europe does seem to be a continuing requirement.

That said, the question remains: how to strike the balance between free speech and mutual respect in this mixed-up world, both blessed and cursed with instant communication? We should not fight fire with fire, threats with threats.

To be in Florence is to reflect on Europe's intricate diversity - and its lost creativity.

The key to the survival of liberty in the modern world is the embrace of multiple identities.

Starting from the ruins of the Second World War, we - all Europeans said, after centuries of fighting each other, we're going to build permanent arrangements in which peace between European countries is secured, freedom is secured, and growing prosperity. And that's what we have done over the last 70 years.

The Eurozone has clearly gone spectacularly wrong, pulling down all the continental economies.