Hegel was right, we learn nothing from history

Writing on this page three weeks ago I suggested there would be an agreement on a revised constitution at next week's European Council, though I also said that I suspected the agreement would not be a wholly satisfactory one.

I adhere to that position despite new difficulties and uncertainties that seem to arise almost daily. It seems to me that whatever the problems - such as the Polish threat to sabotage the negotiations unless their voting rights are improved - the pressures for som...