Neutrality and Potatoes

The Vice President of the European Commission, Margot Wallstrom - who will soon visit Malta - blogs about her recent visit to Ireland. Have a look at the extensive discussion on the comments section:

Ireland has undergone a tremendous change but it is also easy to see the wide differences still existing in housing, health or other social conditions. I feel very much at home in Ireland. The Swedes and the Irish do not only have potatoes in common. To generalise: we are equally attached to neutrality and sceptical against attempts to militarise the European Union. We feel close to nature, we have some strange food (but I must admit that something like a “crisp sandwich”, meaning two slices of white bread with potato crisps in the middle and nothing else, I had never believed would be considered a lunch meal…! ;-) ) as well as heavy drinking habits in common. And then of course the cultural heritage and pride, including the language. I gave up the idea of trying to impress the audiences by saying a few lines in Irish: the spelling gives no clue to the pronunciation..!

Blogging European Commissioner