A vacation from tough decisions

As the summer months roll in, and temperatures soar across the continent, it seems the lethargy and drowsiness that plagues offices across Europe is having a particularly strong effect in the halls of the EU's main institutions. In the wake of the defeat of the EU's Constitution, the trading bloc decided to take a breather, or "pause for reflection" as it was called. This indeterminate pause has lengthened to a protracted hiatus, and now is the time for the EU to end its contemplation and snap into action.

Enlargement continues to bedevil the EU agenda, and is proving a hard sell to citizens. Despite the good experience of newcomer member states, and indeed their positive effects on the old members' economies, a number of myths continue to paint EU enlargement in a poor light. It is up to the EU to improve its PR as Romania and Bulgaria wait in its anteroom, and Turkey, Croatia and Montenegro beat on its door.

So what role could Poland play in a reinvigorated EU? The government had lofty ambitions for Poland to become a regional figurehead in the bloc, but on current evidence it is not up to the task. A recent European Parliament report singled out Poland in a resolution condemning a "rise in racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic and homophobic intolerance" - hardly the stuff that leaders are made of.

The euro is another issue that Poland falls short on. The current administration continues to procrastinate over entering the eurozone and the Prime Minster said this week that he would make a final decision in 2009. What this final decision will be is perplexing; Poland's government agreed to enter the eurozone when it agreed to enter the EU. Delaying the inevitable will only sap the economy's energy and give an advantage to its regional competitors.