The Netherlands election has energised traditional parties across Europe from left and right, with Dutch voters showing Europe that populism is not always inevitable, suggest Raf Casert and Angela Charlton. 

POLAND became the first country yesterday to publicly give its support to the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for the post of EU president.

THE power struggle over the make-up of the new EU Commission is continuing with European governments refusing to recall their controversial commissioners as demanded by the European Parliament.