Austria assumes EU presidency with tangible vow

Austria assumed the presidency of the European Union today with a pledge to make the 25-nation bloc “more tangible to our citizens”.

Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel urged EU leaders to keep alive the idea of a common yet diverse continent, and Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik vowed to work to “boost citizens’ confidence in the European project”. Their pledges underscored the challenge of injecting new life into the EU at a time when public support is at an all-time low.