Many of those who want to see the European Union as a bigger power are not federalists and, in any case, federalism is shared sovereignty at levels in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity. It is not an issue in the Nice treaty. We should take our decision on the basis of what is before us, not what may or may not be put to us in future. To bring the issue nearer to home, I see as little cause for concern about a federal European superstate as there should be about the proposal for a united left front made by Deputy Séamus Healy, or should I say superfront? If there is an area where there may still be a necessity for deanglicising Ireland, pace Douglas Hyde, it is in the Eurosceptic attitudes fostered by sections of the British right-wing press. I sometimes wonder if the Green Party has taken out a subscription to the Sunday Telegraph in order that its members can repeat each week the latest European horror story – a European army being one of the favourites.