Talking shop: The EU is all process, and no substance

The branding of the Conference on the Future of Europe stipulates that the EU has a future but nobody has the faintest idea what this conference will be or do

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (L) and president of the European Council Charles Michel at a special European Council summit in Brussels last year held to discuss the next long-term budget of the EU. Picture: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images

One of the most devastating quotes about the European Union is a rhetorical question Henry Kissinger allegedly asked when he was US Secretary of State: “Who do I call when I want to speak to Europe?”

There are too many possible answers for the bloc to be credible, he implied.