We risk moving from the geographical to the political margins of Europe

IN the 19th century, British prime minister William Gladstone was eternally confounded trying to fulfil divergent Irish aspirations for self-rule while at the same time maintaining imperial unity.

Similarly the EU is equally confounded to understand and solve the modern ‘Irish Question’, ie, what is the message we want to send?

The Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty has generated mixed feelings within Europe as a whole.