The newly-elected Labour government in Britain, exuding confidence from a second landslide victory and with no opposition in sight, has begun work, placing Europe and the euro currency clearly at the top of the political agenda.
Less than 24 hours after Ireland's rejection of the Nice Treaty and one week before the Gothenburg summit on the same issue, mildly euro-sceptic new British foreign secretary Mr Jack Straw pledged integration in Europe not isolation.
"By transforming our relationship with Europe we have and will continue to deliver great benefits," Mr Straw, who will make his first public appearance in his new role at next weekend's EU summit in the Swedish city, said in a statement today.
"We have shown that we can achieve more in Britain's interests by winning friends and winning arguments than we could by isolating ourselves," he added, praising the work of his sacked predecessor Mr Robin Cook, the party's main europhile.
The change in tone was ironic in that British Prime Minister Tony Blair had fought to keep Europe off the agenda for Thursday's election while the Conservative Party had made anti-European rhetoric almost its sole platform.
Conservative leader Mr William Hague immediately resigned as his party made scant headway into Labour's towering majority - which eased to 166 seats from 179 - leaving the divided Tories to continue bickering among themselves over Europe.