Eyes intermittently glued to the ‘breaking news’ on my mobile ‘phone, this morning I attended the opening ceremony of ‘Springfest’ at my children’s school. If ever your confidence about Europe’s potential weakens, then you should attend one of these ceremonies. The whole thing is organised by the kids, who always put on a rich display of gifted talent (music, dance, gymnastics…). And at the end of it all comes the ritual bit that always leaves me with a lump in my throat. The flags of each of the twenty-seven Member States is carried out by a flag party of children of differing nationalities. Each flag gets a loud cheer. And then out comes the EU flag, and it gets a very loud cheer. And then out comes the school’s Springfest flag, and that gets the loudest cheer of all, and then the party begins. It’s when you go to such events that the true meaning of such otherwise anodyne phrases as ‘unity in diversity’ becomes richly apparent. The EU and the eurozone may face big problems at the moment, but when I see the idealism and ‘can do’ attitude of our youngsters, I just know Europe is going to flourish.