Europe emerging from the darkness: Blair
Europe has emerged from its "darkened room" thanks to a new generation of leaders and a new consensus, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday.
Blair said the European Union was surmounting the crises of last year and there was more reason than ever for traditionally hesitant Britain to be optimistic about EU membership.
Blair insisted that the 25-member bloc had a shining future if its leaders took action on the things that mattered to its citizens, he said at Oxford University in southern England.
"The EU doesn't need to create its relevance to its people today; it just needs to discover it," Blair said, in his first speech on Europe since Britain handed the six-month rotating EU presidency to Austria at the turn of the year.
"For Europe to succeed, it needs to reconnect its priorities and preoccupations with the challenges its people face. First decide what we want to do -- then work out how to do it.
"The irony is that, after the shock of enlargement, the crisis of the referendums, the opening of accession negotiations with Turkey and the agreement of the budget with a firm process of reform midway through the next financial term, after all these alarms and excursions there has never been a better time to be optimistic in Europe or enthusiastic about Britain's part in it," Blair said.
Europe was beset by doubts about its future last year was when French and Dutch voters rejected the proposed EU constitution, designed to make the bloc smoother to run after 10 mostly ex-Communist states joined in May 2004.
Voters kicked it out because politicians had "locked ourselves in at the top of the tower", preoccupied with institutions rather than policies, Blair said.
"Europe has emerged from its darkened room. It has a new generation of leaders. The new consensus is forming," said the Oxford graduate.
"Yes, there is still a debate to be had, but the argument in favour of an open Europe is winning.
"Despite all the setbacks of recent years, I have no doubt that, in times to come, Europe will be stronger and more integrated.
"For Britain, this is the last time imaginable to walk away. Today, we have a shining opportunity to become part of a new consensus about the EU in the 21st century."
Blair began the British presidency in July 2005 with a mostly well-received modernising rallying call to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
However, many commentators judged Britain's turn at the helm to be a flop, with an agreement on the 25-member bloc's 2007-2013 budget coming only after much argument and bitter wrangling.
The opening of accession negotiations with Turkey was deemed to be one of the presidency's successes.