Stubb returns to Strasbourg (thankfully we don't)

Alexander Stubb, Finnish EPP member, guest blogs for the Economist this week. This being the first Strasbourg week of the new school term, his entry laments the regular treks down to the picturesque Alsatian capital that we have highlighted in the past.

As Alex was packing his bags in preparation for the five hour (?) drive down the E411, some of us managed to sit this week out and only glimpsed the dizzy spire of the Cathedral from the autoroute on the return from our annual summer migration as we drove in the opposite direction. BTW – you may have noted the distinct lack of entries in recent weeks as we made mad dashes up, down and across Europe in search of sunshine and warmth. All things being equal (and cloudy), normal service is now set to resume.

It seems we owe our apologies to Alex for not including his own blog on our blogroll in the past. His EPP press release trumpets that he has blogged (in Finnish) for over four years, posted over a 1000 entries and gets over 1000 readers a day. All somewhat more impressive than our own humble efforts. However, as the only comment on his Economist entry appears to be from a voter celebrating the fact that the Parliament is made more ineffectual by the monthly commute, one has to wonder whether despite previous success Alex will be reconsidering his hope that “blogging in English for The Economist will encourage an even broader range of comments…”.

Of course such hopes could have probably been dashed at a glance through a click at Margot’s conversation (in English) with the citizens, most of whom seem to be at least slightly mad. Incidentally, thanks to Margot’s moderator for pointing out that she won’t be winding her blog down anytime soon. Some of us quite enjoy pictures of mooses and random reading recommendations – a true insight into a politician’s mind perhaps?