The EU and Narnia appear to have a lot in common

Article forms part of an FT Survey 'The future of Europe', which comprises a series of features focusing on challenges facing the European Union in the future and coinciding with the Austrian EU Presidency / European Commission conference, The Sound of Europe, Salzburg, 27-28 January 2006. The Conference was planned to formally kick-start the 'period of reflection' called for by the EU Member States in 2005 following the rejection of the proposed EU Constitution by the electorates in France and the Netherlands.

This article discusses the immediate issues of 2006 and suggests that there is a certain degree of optimism in the EU after the difficulties of 2005.