MR Bruton and Mr Santer agree on their fundamental view of the Irish presidency it should be a citizen's presidency, one which is understood by the European public and regarded by them as relevant to their lives.
They are not doing this simply because it is "a good thing". EU leaders got a major fright when their 1992 Maastricht Treaty was nearly scuppered by the European citizens who were bamboozled by its complexity and deeply suspicious of it. The Danes rejected it before narrowly changing their minds in a later referendum. The French just passed it by a whisker, and Ireland saw a lively campaign against it as well.
Now the EU has embarked on another programme of treaty building, and its leaders fear that this time the public could do the same thing. A rejection by just one member state of treaty changes agreed at the Union's, Inter Governmental Conference would derail the whole process.
Conscious of widespread Euroscepticism, the EU has identified the two issues of most concern to the public jobs and drugs. Concentration on these, it is hoped, will convince the citizens chat the EU is its friend.
As Mr Bruton himself put it yesterday, "When its central projects were the creation of a single market and a single currency, the EU was seen by the citizens of Europe to be building something rather esoteric and removed from them.
"This was reflected in the disproportionately large number of No votes in referenda on the Maastricht Treaty. We are now working on a programme which is much more easily understood, dealing with the threats caused by organised crime and unemployment. If Europe is seen to be debating these issues and doing something about these issues, the whole European debate will be much more relevant."
Yesterday Government Ministers and Commissioners got down to their first highly technical discussion of the programme of work for the next six months. Besides employment and drugs, they talked about every issue facing the EU, including the single currency, the IGC, agriculture and fisheries, transport, tourism and much more.
Mr Bruton said the discussions had been "extremely complex and technical". But with the new imperative of simplification in mind, he broke the discussions into two main themes the provision of secure employment and more employment for Europeans, and making Europeans feel safer through tackling crime and ensuring peace around Europe's borders.
The complex and esoteric issues will demand much of the Irish Presidency as well. The European Commission is anxious that Ireland press for a full draft EU treaty at the IGC, even if some parts are not agreed and have to be set in brackets. "The Irish Presidency has a clear mandate to now start the negotiations," Mr Santer said. "It must give new impetus to the IGC."
There is evidence, too, of Government determination, despite some political and media scepticism, to agree measures on drugs and employment by the end of the year that involve more than pious expressions of concern. "W don't want any window dressing or any proposals that won't work," the Minister of State, Mr Gay Mitchell, asserted.
The generalised statements of commitment to do something" about drugs and unemployment have given way to concrete proposals which are now emerging.
Mr De Rossa and Mr Quinn are supporting the establishment of a new employment committee within the Union, which would shift the emphasis of economic policy away from the intense concentration on cutting budget deficits and keeping inflation and interest rates down.
In most policy areas, it appears that the Government and the Commission are singing from the same hymn sheet. "In past Irish residencies," said Mr Bruton, co-operation between the Commission and the presidency has been extremely close. There is evidence of that here as well.