Brussels goes on holiday

As Henry Kissinger is alleged to have remarked "Europe? Give me a name and a phone number!" But even if there was a phone number for Europe, it is not certain that calls would be answered in August. A little over a year ago, when war broke out between Georgia and Russia, the offices of politicians and diplomats were empty in Brussels. Were it not for Nicolas Sarkozy's enthusiasm for personal initiative, there would have been no immediate European response to the conflict on its doorstep. In the 2007 holiday season, Europe's political machine was also caught napping by the eruption of the subprime crisis.

This year, given the doubts about the future of Europe's decision makers, the inactivity in Brussels is expected to extend well into the autumn. The orientation of the Commission will remain unclear until the European Parliament rules on the question of José Manuel Barroso's second term. At the same time, the appointment of a President of the European Council and a High Representative for Foreign Affairs in accordance with the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty cannot go ahead until the Irish hold their second referendum on the Treaty on the 2nd of October. Finally, Europe's member states will not make any important decisions until Germany elects a new government on 27 September.

The occurrence of key events in August, 2007 and August 2008, is a reminder of the fact that the world does not stop just because political leaders are not at their desks. We still do not have a single telephone number for Europe, but if we did, the phone would likely be ringing during the holiday season.