IS HE going to sing and, if so, what? As he stood in the footlights, in front of the stand-up microphone, before the final summit news conference in the Printworks in Dublin Castle on Saturday evening, the Taoiseach's accomplished spokesman, former broadcaster Shane Kenny, looked for all the world like the "warm-up act" just waiting for the audience to settle down before he launched into a bit of a medley.
Given the successful summit that was in it, what would he sing? When Euro-Eyes Are Smiling? Or given the late night hours apparently kept by many a bleary- eyed Euro-hack, would he opt for the celebrated Nessun Dorma (No one is sleeping) from Turandot? Or again, given the generally pleased look of the Taoiseach, would it be I Did It My Way?
In the end, the Irish "summit-success" story spoke for itself at a final news conference that was distinctly laid back, enlivened only bye the glorious English of European Commission President, Inspector Clouseau, doubling as Jacques Santer, who summed it all up with: "The single currency has become a paalpaable reeaalitteee."
Indeed, it has. Yet even as the Taoiseach and Tanaiste, Dick Spring, were doing their final, post-conference interviews, the set for the "Euro-Movie" was already being dismantled and the "Euro-Circus" was preparing to move out of town.
Even before the Taoiseach had delivered his final "Safe Streets, Secure Jobs, Stable Money" eurosell, the people at the "Europe of the Regions" stand had already taken down and carefully folded up all their posters and fittings. Everything was put away neatly, ready for the next time because, remember folks, this Euro-Show will run and run.
Nor is it only cynical reporters who conceive of summits as "shows", since Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi told us in his final briefing that the presentation of the new euro bank notes on Friday had been a little "show" that had added a little bit of "spectacolo" to the Dublin "vertice".
The Italian Prime Minister went on to say that, aesthetically speaking, he found the new bank notes only "cosi, cosi" and that he did not at all like the drab look of the biggest note, the 500 euro.
Mind you, not everyone was that keen to discuss the new bank notes. Take the Spanish Finance Minister, Rodrigo De Rato Figaredo. Asked what he made of the new currency "aesthetically speaking", his reply was brief and to the point. "Aesthetically?" he exclaimed, as though a very rude word had been mentioned.
With that, he got to his feet and stomped off, briefing over. The new currency may not leave everyone breathless, but it apparently left one Spaniard speechless.
Yet, talking of notes, undoubtedly the most telling note of the summit was the one shoved across the table by the Tanaiste to his Dutch opposite number, Foreign Minister Hans Van Mierlo, towards the end of Saturday's final Council session. Remember, the Netherlands takes over the European Union Presidency on January 1st, 1997. The Tanaiste's note read: " all the problems are yours."