Madam, - You give prominence to a round-robin letter (April 9th) from various unemployed presidents, prime ministers and princesses of Europe telling us that "to protect and promote culture is one of the most important tasks in Europe today."
It isn't. It's just one more excuse to skirt around the completing the one task that will do most to improve the quality of lives of citizens of the EU.
The EU politicians, bureaucrats, would-bes and has-beens should direct their energies towards removing the remaining protectionist, poverty-creating barriers to the free trade that is the essence and overwhelming success of the EU.
Start with the Common Agricultural Policy, continue with insurance, pharmacology, etc. The list is long, difficult and unglamorous.
But it will do far more good than fluffing around with such things as culture, a constitution, a single foreign policy and so on, which the Europe's great and good seem to enjoy so much. - Yours, etc.,
TONY ALLWRIGHT,
Killiney,
Co Dublin.