In a few hours Romania and Bulgaria will become member states of the European Union, and I am very proud and happy about that. I can still remember so clearly being stuck on a train at the border between Lokoshaza and Arad (Hungary to Romania) in 1999 and realising how lucky I was to live in the EU and seldom have to face this mess. Since that day I have been back to Romania a number of times, and I wish them all the best in the EU – even if it means taking decisions is going to be even harder.

Beyond that, what will we get in 2007? Royal to beat Sarkozy, and France to restart the constitutional process. Maybe Brown to be PM and be a bit kinder to the EU? But not much hope of anything interesting from 50 years anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

Anyway, I’m off to a party in the south of Stockholm… The Euroblog will be back and more active than ever in 2007!