As the PES spokesman on Constitutional Affairs it is heartening to see Irish Premier Bertie Aherne make clear his enthusiasm for the new European Union Constitution.

Speaking in Dublin today, he said: "The Constitution will make it more effective, more democratic, more open and more easily understood.

"There is nothing automatic about the Europe we have built for ourselves over the last generation. There is nothing inevitable about the union's future. It falls to us now to make choices about our future. We should not underestimate the human potential to make the wrong choices."

His determination to fully engage the citizens of Ireland about Europe is something this country could do a lot worse than to follow.

It is also another excellent example of the disporportionate amount of media coverage given to the two countries (France and the Netherlands) who rejected the Constitution compared to those countries that are strongly in favour of it or are likely to be. For instance, I didn't see much coverage of Estonia ratifying it on Tuesday, making a total of fifteen so far.