I was writer-sitting this Saturday. Jackie Kay, is a prolific poet, novelist and short-story writer. She was in town for work with the British School and the European Schools, and a mutual friend asked me to look after her on the Saturday afternoon and evening. She is, quite simply, a lovely lady and great company. My writers group friend and children’s author Leila Rasheed (she wrote this and this) organised a signing session at the local branch of Waterstones, and then very kindly Jackie joined me and Leila and the rest of the writers group back home for a working session. This was great fun. She read from The Adoption Papers and Off Colour, and then we all read extracts from our work. Afterwards, spouses and companions and children joined us for a big meal. A wonderful evening was capped off by Leila’s boyfriend, Rene Morgensen (a composer and gifted saxophonist), playing jazz riffs into the small hours. A special occasion.

Kjell Torbiorn; European Manadarin, Professor oh, and, er former pop star

This evening I went to the Rose Blanche in the Grand Place to deliver a speech at a ‘causerie‘ for the students of the Strasbourg campus of Syracuse University. My good friend, Kjell Torbiorn, is a professor of European politics there and, indeed, has written a first-rate book about Europe’s economic and political evolution (and not just about the European Union). He and I met at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in 1985, when I was a new, young official and he was in charge of the Agriculture Committee. He’s now Head of the Private Office of the President but, like me, persists in believing that we should write and teach about what we do and why. Unlike me, he is also a singer and a songwriter and was a star in his native Sweden in his early twenties. His pet project at the moment is ‘songs that Elvis could have sung’. You can hear him at www.gracelandking.com. As to the students, when I first started giving these causeries some fifteen years ago (most of the students are American), I spoke about the avoidance of war but now I am increasingly convinced that European integration is a successful model that can and should be imitated elsewhere in the world.

I held a small drinks party at lunchtime today to say farewell to my old directorate. I really enjoyed my two years (too short!) in charge of a consultative works directorate. I had an extraordinarily broad policy remit: the single market, production and consumption; transport, energy, infrastructure and the information society; agriculture, rural development and the environment; a consultative committee on industrial change (CCMI) and two observatories, one on the single market and the other on sustainable development. Simply keeping up to date on the activities of my various sections, CCMI and observatories kept me on my toes, and there were so many important policy developments, from the energy and climate change package through to the CAP health check, that I seemed to be forever reading position papers and briefings. It was intellectually challenging and great fun. The fun was due in great part to my former colleagues. Not only were they good company, but they got the job done – sometimes under very difficult circumstances. Unexpectedly, they gave me some presents, wittily and affectionately chosen, and they gave me a card with  a lot of personal messages that I’ll cherish for the rest of my days. Afterwards I took my former secretariat – Rita, Christine and Baiba – to lunch, where Baiba revealed a compendious knowledge about digestifs (I promised her I’d put that in). I’ll miss them all – the consolation is that they’re not far away.

We went to see La Cenerentola (Cinderella) at La Monnaie last night. It’s a very witty production and after the more intellectual hard work of Pelleas et Mélisande a sort of sweet dessert for the loyal public – a case indeed of ‘la bonta in trionfo’. I found the evening slightly disturbing because – I don’t know whether it was the make up or the lighting – the tenor singing the role of Don Ramiro, Javier Camarena, looked just like David Cameron. When he started singing – a fine, clear voice – the impression was reinforced. He sounded just like I’d imagine Cameron would sound if he started singing. Wierd. The impression only dissipated when, as the plot dictates, his character cast off his disguise and became himself. Now there’s a plot; opposition leader moonlights as opera singer. The closest we’ve ever got to that was Edward Heath conducting orchestras, I think. Whilst we’re on Cameron, here’s a plug for my pal’s biography of him. If you want to know what makes Cameron tick, James Hanning and his co-author do an excellent job.

I took the kids last night to see Belgium’s world cup qualifiying match against Spain. The last time I took them, Torres scored two and Spain effectively knocked Belgium out of the World Cup. This was a different affair. Belgium (Sonck) scored first and only a disastrously poor pass allowed Spain to equalise (through Iniesta). Apparently, Belgian pundits made much of a Belgian goal disallowed for an offside but the truth is that Belgium didn’t manage to put away at least three other good chances. Spain, though, played an intelligent and very patient waiting game. Painfully, David Villa took their chance in the 88th minute, leaving the Belgians stunned and frustrated. They could hold their heads high, though. This was an excellent match against the reigning European champions. It was also a really good evening out. We were just next to the Spanish supporters, who were in fine voice. Indeed, I am convinced their singing, chanting and cheering did much to neutralise Belgium’s home advantage, especially after the Belgians took an early lead. My Liverpool-supporting daughter was worried to see Torres limping off in the sixteenth minute with a suspected hamstring injury. Apart from that, it was a fine night oh, and, yes, England won 3-1 against Belarus. This is their best ever opening campaign in a World Cup.

This morning, as I pedalled into work (yes, I’m still resolutely on the bike), preparations were under way for the European Council meeting. Doubtless for good security reasons, this involves closing off a busy roundabout and the erection of barbed wire barriers in a wide circumference around the Justus Lipsius building where the Heads of State or Government meet. Inevitably, traffic jams build up and various well-subscribed bus routes are re-jigged. My own route takes me across the Place Jean Rey. This is criss-crossed every morning by children on their way to the school in Parc Leopold. But when European Council meetings are on, the barbed wire barriers go up around the square and they, like everybody else, have to take a long detour. Throughout the day a police helicopter hovers overhead. Of course, high-level security is necessary, but I can’t help but wonder about the subliminal image we are inadvertently giving, particularly to the kids; defensive security, inconvenience, traffic jams, barbed wire, helicopters…

This evening I went to the Centre, a Brussels-based ‘think-do tank’, to listen to Margot Wallström deliver the annual John Fitzmaurice memorial lecture. John was a half-English, half-Danish civil servant who worked for some thirty years in the Secretariat General of the European Commission, dealing with relations with the European Parliament. I went to do a traineeship with him in 1985 because he had written two books and a number of incisive articles about the Parliament (at the time I was writing a PhD thesis about the Parliament). He rapidly became my friend and mentor and our friendship lasted until he was cruelly felled by a heart attack in 2003. Margot Wallström didn’t know him personally, but I have no doubt he would have thoroughly approved of the tone and content of her analysis of ‘Europe on the Eve of the Parliament elections.’ Margot pointed to the danger that, if the Lisbon Treaty has not yet been ratified, the elections risk being opportunistically turned into ‘the referendum you never had’. In that context I see another danger lurking behind the recent Eurobarometer findings: turnout risks being low, perilously low, in a number of member states. When turnout is that low (and we’re talking about under 20 per cent here) mavericks and extremists tend to do disproportionately well. In my humble opinion, therefore, all friends of the European Parliament and of parliamentary democracy more generally should do their utmost to encourage Europe’s citizens to turn out and vote. Margot touched  on another issue dear to my heart. As an old ‘DG X’ hand, I got quite intimately involved in the first attempts to develop some sort of genuine EU communication policy. We always foundered on the same two rocks: namely, no Treaty article on which to base such a policy; and the fact that some Member States are extremely sensitive about direct communication activities by the European institutions in the Member States. About two years ago, for a few heady moments, it seemed as though, Treaty article or not, the three big institutions were about to agree on the bare bones of a communication policy. Alas, the probability rapidly receded and next week they will instead sign an interinstitutional agreement rather than something more ambitious. It’s a good start and will surely be built on, but there is a great irony in this ebb and flow, for the very circumstances that illustrated the necessity for some sort of EU-wide communication policy (the Dutch, French and Irish referendums) simultaneously made such a policy impossible (because of the sensitivity of domestic opinion in some key Member States).

In the ensuing debate my pal, Centre co-founder and E!Sharp publisher, Paul Adamson, cogently argued that the rise of what might be termed structured Euro-scepticism was a good thing because it obliged pro-Europeans to take a more pro-active stance and argue their case – something they had singularly failed to do in the past. Paul has consistently criticised what he calls the ‘Euro wimps’ who moan about the slings and arrows of outrageous Euro-scepticism (to paraphrase) but are loathe to get out there and fight the good fight. Paul, to his immense credit, has certainly put his money where his mouth is.

Another friend, Mike Shackleton, was among the guests. More than any other official, Mike made the European Parliament’s internet-based TV channel, EuroparlTV; a reality. It was a hideously complex and mammoth undertaking. Like any innovation, it will be improved and adapted over time, but it is there and it works. Mike has played a number of key roles in the EP’s secretariat – Budgets Committee, Temporary Committee of Inquiry, Co-decision and Conciliation Committees; he has also taught about the Parliament at Bruges and, of course, co-authored the text book about the European Parliament, but when it comes to looking back at the legacy, EuroparlTV is the biggie, an extraordinary achievement.

In other words, Margot’s John Fitzmaurice memorial lecture had brought together a group of kindred spirits who, from MEPs to candidates to officials to activists could certainly not be described as being Euro-wimps.

To read Margot’s speech click on ‘read the rest of this entry’.

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It was cheering to read in this morning’s Financial Times that ‘Turmoil brings out best in Europe’. Sunday’s Eurozone summit meeting, an institutional first, kicked off what promises to be an eventful but reassuring week on the financial front. Diplomats in Luxembourg yesterday were apparently comparing the financial crisis and the EU’s response with other seismic events, such as the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall. This thing is big, then; really big, but Europe is managing in a way that no individual member state would be able to manage.

An article alongside reports that ‘French brawn and UK brains lead way.’ Of course, in rugby it would be the other way around.

Nearer home, I attended my first EESC Budget Group meeting as SG. It was another bitter-sweet occasion, with Alexander Graf Von Schwerin standing down as Chairman and Seppo Kallio taking up the challenge. Establishing sound, transparent and reliable budgetary and financial processes has to be a Secretary General’s first priority. To borrow a metaphor, the house is basically in good shape, but it needs some re-wiring. Seppo and I have our sleeves rolled up…

Blimey. That went quickly. There is an English language magazine published in Belgium, The Bulletin, that comes out every Thursday. I know when I’m very busy because I find myself picking up the new edition without having read the old one yet. It’s the same with the European Voice and the Economist; they pile up, mute testament to my, well, being busy.

This morning’s Directors’ meeting (my second) went well, I think. One of the points on the agenda was the development of a proper policy concerning personal printers. The statistics on the additional energy and paper consumption when too many officials have personal printers were clear. Moreover, there is a potential health risk involved with some printers in some circumstances (annoyingly, no more precise information is yet available). At the European Commission they have decided to try and limit personal printers to one per six officials. It’s what you might call a post-environment agenda point. Twenty years ago, the arguments would have been purely economic; if we limit the number of personal printers by X we will save Y. Obviously, savings remain an important aspect, but the most important consideration now is ecological/environmental – that and people’s well-being.

In the evening to my fortnightly writers’ group, always a cultural and social oasis as well as a complete change of scenery. We begin by reading out short exercises, then we launch into critiques of the two people who are ‘up’ (that is, have submitted work in progress). Being able to give and take criticism and get the most out of it is an important part of any writer’s learning process. I suspect I am better at the giving than the taking (surprise, surprise). In the recent past my exercises have consisted of short biographical pieces triggered by visual or aural stimuli. To read last night’s effort, click on ‘read the rest of this entry’.

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Clyde took me for a walk at Tervuren this morning. Most Sundays I drop off the kids at Wezembeek Wanderers and then cut through to the lakes of Vossem. (For those not in the know, Wezembeek Wanderers is a volunteer-run football club that unites children and their parents of all nationalities in their love for the beautiful game and a kick-around on a Sunday morning.) The sun was out, and the trees were in their autumnal splendour; golds and reds and russets and oranges and yellows. A gaggle of geese flew over in perfect V formation and I saw swans taking off and landing (that particular sight always puts a song in my heart). It was a beautiful day. Moreover, both Belgium and England won their World Cup qualifying matches yesterday and Liverpool is second in the Premier League table, so all is well in the world.

Except, of course, that it ain’t. A financial crisis rages about us and our leaders are trying to bring the flames under control. But when you walk around the city, or when you work in the EU institutions (with the exception of those parts with direct competence for financial matters), you get no sense of urgency or of a crisis. There are no echoes of the sort of stark images the Great 1929 Wall Street crash left emblazoned in our collective memories. It’s a rum affair.

Pascale, the newsagent on the corner of our street, is my morning reality check. Her boyfriend, Nicolas, worked until recently as a salesman for the Belgian branch of a multinational company. A few weeks back he went into work to find his boss in tears. ‘I’m sorry,’ said the boss, ‘but the company has folded. I must ask you to leave your (company) car keys on the table.’ Now, the Dutch branch of the same company has offered some of the salesmen their jobs back, but as temporary staff and on a week-to-week basis. So; a big pay cut and no job security. Nice one. Nicolas is a dynamic chap with few commitments and can afford to wait for better offers to come along, but a lot of his colleagues, with families and mortgages, had little choice but to take up the offer. The EESC’s next President, Mario Sepi, a life-long trades unionist, intends to put human and social rights at the heart of his presidency. Clearly, such emphasis is timely.