Here's something many people never expected to see; Gordon's told the Blairites that he wants to be friends. Including Peter and Alistair. how much trouble must the man be in for this?

Ah, the reliable old African Union. Is there anyone out there who is surprised by their support for Mugabe and his election? The AU is the successor to the infamous Organisation of African Unity and that must have been in the running for the most odious organisation on the planet.

No matter how disgusting you are, the OAU will open its arms to you. Members have included mass murderers, genocidists, cannibals, child rapists, the completely insane and the nastiest despots.

Their annual conference was marked by two events every year:

1. A punchup on the conference floor
2. Armed guards patrolling the hotel and conference floors to stop the delegates from killing each other.

The thuggish behaviour of Mugabe's goons at the conference shows that a mere change of name hasn't really altered the brutal culture that the organisation either finds acceptable or is too supine to do anything about.

One only has to look at Mbeki, the Neville Chamberlin of the continent, to see the continent wide failure of leadership the organisation represents, a failure his predecessor accused Mugabe of. It that all, Nelson? Is that all you noticed about Mugabe? Is that all you have to say?

Still at least Mbeki was able to swap tips on curing AIDS with President Jammeh, who had a cure revealed to him in a dream and now treats people himself, but only on Thursdays.

On the plus side, didn't the Eiffel Tower look great! Another good sign was Sarkozy's hour long address to the French people on television about his ambitions for the French Presidency. Can anyone imagine Gordon doing that? or even anyone watching?

One thing is for certain, they won't cock it up as badly as Blair did to the UK Presidency - still regarded as one of the worst efforts in all time, so you can imagine there are some pretty strong contenters for that miserable title.

Naturally he's opening with the "I will restore trust in the EU" line, an ambition more than a promise but it does show that he realises that the disconnection between the EU and its citizens is a huge problem. Has he any answers?

You bet. But that is going to need a back to square one approach and not a series of patch-up treaties. It's going to need fundamental reform, not just of EU institutions but of how the member states run Europe AND use it as a convenient excuse for any of their negotiating failures or similar.

How can Sarkozy 'profoundly change' whilst keeping the agricultural subsidies the same? And as for the 60,000 EU Defence Force, I hope they've learned something from this little incident.

We earlier reported an initiative about the EU certifying bloggers. EU Observer has an interesting report about the outcry from this, correctly noting that this is just a proposal at the moment.

However, further down the report they do quote the proposal's originator, Ms Mikko MEP (Who hasn't replied to our email) saying

 So, there you have it; there is a plan to have bloggers 'Officially Certified' by the EU. Lets hope sanity throws this idea onto the dustbin of history where it belongs.

In the meantime, Ms Mikko can find our response by referring the reply given in Arkell Vs Pressdram.

Respected Euro-blogger, Jon Worth writes a thought provoking article on "Remind me, why do I blog about the EU?"

I think a great many people fall into this area, certainly I do, but we're not shouting the loudest or most stridently.

Blairwatch is also independent, we have no paymasters or political attachments. But we don't feel alone and perhaps what Brussels needs is more independent voices.

Jon, you're not alone, not by a long way.

In my earlier comments on the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty, I suggested that instead of an all embracing referendum, they could be broken down into constituent parts and made clearer for any electorate.

In his blog, Stanley Crossick reports that DemosEUROPA are advocating a similar solution and recommends further examination.

The IHT has a fasciniating article about the interrogation of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. It decribes how torture was used 'In a makeshift prison in the north of Poland'... 'A paramilitary team put on the pressure, using cold temperatures, sleeplessness, pain and fear to force a prisoner to talk. When the prisoner signaled assent, the tormenters stepped aside.'

'the agency made the momentous decision to use harsh methods the United States had long condemned. With little research or reflection, it borrowed its techniques from an American military training program modeled on the torture repertories of the Soviet Union and other cold-war adversaries, a lineage that would come to haunt the agency.'

"Poland is the 51st state," one former CIA official recalls James Pavitt, then director of the agency's clandestine service, declaring. "Americans have no idea."

I'll admit I was stunned when I read the story that Brown 'Will only stand for one General Election'. My first thought was "as many as that?" Then the Shakespearean tragedy that is New Labour became obvious.

This is a man who spent over a decade and a half plotting to gain the crown and as soon as he crowned himself, he blew it. He blew  it so badly that already his best hope is in the careful leaking this line of "He'll soon be gone, so please, just vote for him the once. He's off soon. Promise. No, seriously, we mean it this time".

Looks like the backbenchers are getting very restless indeed. Probably because they might well be sitting on the other side of the Commons after Gordon's single stand before the electorate.

The EC has just released a survey on reasons (pdf) for voting, or not voting in the Irish referndum - our initial analysis is here, and there is also some considered thoughts from Brian Barder.

Please read the whole document but highlights include:

The results are worrying for anyone concerened with reform or improving democracy. It must be said that the EU's Communication Strategy seems to have failed. We are hoping to interview European Commissioner Margot Wallström shortly about this.

It would be easy to dismiss this as another example of the EU failing, but that would be a mistake, the point is to see how, and indeed if, the EU can be made more democratic, transparent and accountable. Is the EU capable of widening dialogue with its citizens?

How can the EU be called democratic when the President is elected by 27 people horse trading behind closed doors? I know this is how a Pope is elected, but is that really the model to adopt for a continent?

What's wrong with having a EU Presidential election at the same time as the EU Parliamentary elections and asking, not 27, but the adult population of the EU to elect a President?

Certainly the EU tries to communicate, but, with highly expensive projects not improving knowledge or awareness, the launch of a EU TV channel, radio station, online forum and possible moves on bloggers, it seems that many are wondering when information becomes propoganda. Are they interested in presenting or controlling information?

These are questions that are being asked, quietly at the moment, by people across the political spectrum in Brussels. Why quietly? Because many of these voices are, one way or another, in receipt of the EU shilling, through NGO's, Lobbyists or those more directly employed by the institutions.

What most are whispering is "I've got some great ideas/analysis, but my boss won't put it through because he doesn't want to upset the Commission/Parliament as we've for a funding review/application coming soon". This is self censorship and the number of people giving off the recored examples of this is getting embarrassing.

Mission Accomplished - nearly.

Just a quick round-up of a few stories in the last couple of days:

Now, that's what I call a worrying sentence.

In the meantime, yet more confirmation of what we all know; Medical examinations of former terror suspects held by US troops showed proof of physical and psychological torture. Although only 11 men were examined four came from Gitmo where they were imprisoned for three years before being released without charge.

Will one of these become the next Sayyid Qutb, whose torture at the hands of the Egyptians was a major factor in his radicalisation? How many terrorists are being manufactured in our secret prisons?

We've been saying the same thing for years; security comes from combatting extremism and not taking away civil liberties or continuing policies that almost seem designed to produce more murderous radicals.

Then again we've got New Labour, Gordon Brown, the supply Prime Minister, Hazel Blears, Ruth Kelly and so on in this ' Government of all the talents'. Alistair Darling might have nothing of interest to say, but Mervin King does. If this is talent, what are the rest like?

The Liberals seem to have acclimatised themselves to flatlining in the polls and when I see what their rule has been like in Liverpool I am tempted to put my principles aside and advocate putting them against a wall and shooting the lot of them. Want to know how they would govern? Look towards the Mersey and be shocked.

Cameron's Cuddly Conservatives are gaining in the polls, mainly because if they stand next to the Lib-Dems they do actually look like a real party, but can it last? Stresses over Europe are narrowing, but are they to be good old fashioned authoritatians or dashing young libertarians? The big problem they have is that their membership is tending to the old and senile end of the spectrum and there is a rumour that around 15% of them still think Margret Thatcher is still their leader.

This is England. The solution isn't to run away from the EU or to blame them for all our woes. Perhaps, just once we will actually try to play a full part in Europe, a transformative role in bringing Europe back to the people. Sadly the current crop of UK politicians are as competent as they are interested in this.

 I saw this sign outside the EU Charlemagne building, the slogan reads "Torture is unacceptable", "Fighting Torture Together"

No mention of the several European states involved in secret rendition flights, or the secret prisons in some European countries where suspects were tortured. Berlaymonster should make something of this.

Oh, the Good old Westminster bubble, the small enclosed world of Britain's political class. We noticed that, almost unanimously they pronounced David Davis as a wild nutcase off on a farcical flight of fancy. Indeed it was remarkable at just how slow to react the major parties were.

Then the polls came in. The Great British Public seemed to take a different view. This is a problem for democracy as the 'opinion leaders' and 'policy formers' as they like to style themselves have frequently found themselves on the wrong side of public opinion. now sometimes this is no bad thing, but when it happens so often, one must wonder if those providing 'informed comment' really are informed about anything beyond the bubble.

For politicians to reach out beyond the bubble is vital to keep democracy alive.

This is a general political problem that seems to be some kind on natural phenomenon. In Brussels it is magnified, and so is the problem.

It's glaring, embarrassingly so. I love Brussels, it's a vibrant, quirky, multicultural city - frankly underrated in most tourist guides, but the 'EU Quarter is something very different.

It's almost entirely white. As I wander around the parliament and various Commission buildings, practically the only non-caucasians I see are the cleaners and the dogbodies moving furniture.

I photograph a lot of conferences and I'm faced with a sea of pleasant, intelligent white men in suits. Not a photographers dream. Frankly the EU bubble is about as diverse as a  Ku Klux Klan rally. Secondly, almost everyone involved is taking the EU Shilling in one way or another.

I want to make it plain that I am pro-Europe, but I believe fundamental reform, not just of treaties but of the bubble is the only way forward.

This report from the EU Parliament's Culture Committee has been taking aim at those naughty uncontrolled bloggers.

We've asked Ms Mikko for an interview and have posed a question to the web editor, who asks for feedback:

"Does the Culture Committee regard Commissioner Margot Wallström, Vice-President of the European Commission's blog a threat?

Or Us? "

We'll let you know any reply we get. If any.