Member states, who of course chose Ms Ashton to act exactly as she has, each follow their own agenda – the creation of a joint army by France and the UK, who together sought UN approval to take action against Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, and France’s recent military action alongside Alassane Ouattara’s troops in Ivory Coast are two recent examples among many.

Let’s face it: taxpayer money spent on the EEAS is money thrown out the window. The service’s €570 million annual budget for civil, military and humanitarian action – action yet to be seen – could be spent more effectively. Timid and voiceless, the service discreetly bows out to the Union’s national governments, which defend their own turf. This despite the fact that timidity, Lady Ashton, was not among the principles brandished by the EU’s founding fathers!

The EU can either accept this shortcoming and adapt – by abandoning its pursuit of a common foreign policy worthy of the name – or say no, and take a new approach. European diplomacy boarded a train which until now has taken it nowhere, conducted by an engineer who, lacking in courage and initiative, should hand over the controls to a more inspired candidate before the train reaches the station. Anyone?

These contradictory responses outline the portrait of a Europe that has much in common with the protagonist of a Bildungsroman: a heroine full of ambitions and contradictions, who battles with the trails and tribulations of a capricious destiny. In this roman-fleuve, those who look back with contentment on their recent history joyfully adhere to the values of the "extended family." That is the case of the 57% of those questioned who affirm that they have benefited from their country's accession to the EU: the most satisfied being the Spanish, the French, and notwithstanding the current economic crisis – or perhaps because of it – the Irish. However, for other members of the clan (31%) the question of Europe is more likely to prompt a strained smile or even a hostile look, particularly among the Latvians and the British.

The question of who is to blame for these mixed feelings ought to remain a subplot, while the main theme should be the ongoing effort to reinforce the unity of the family. In its failure to respond in a truly collective manner to the 12 January earthquake in Haiti, the EU has missed a major opportunity to address the expectations and doubts of its citizens. But that is not to say that we should abandon all hope in common initiatives. At a time when fears for the future of the European car manufacturing business have highlighted the impact of the economic crisis, there are few doubts about where these are needed: 69% of Europeans believe that the restoration of economic prosperity should be "the main priority for the European Union in the years to come."

Iulia Badéa-Guéritée