EU faces uphill struggle as it returns to work

With six weeks of summer break behind it, the EU officially gets back to work this week to face a series of problems that are no more palatable now than they were in July.

It is approaching the autumn with no deal on how to spend its money from 2007, an impasse on the EU Constitution and a dilemma over Social Europe.

The last issue is perhaps most fundamental to the EU and the direction that it is heading.

The debate about what the 'European Social Model' means was kicked of...