25 HEADS OF STATE GATHERED IN DUBLIN

Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was among the 25 heads of government who gathered in Dublin over the weekend to celebrate the new, enlarged European Union, and for the first time reporters were able to get an idea of his grasp of the English language. He told his host, Prime Minister Bertie Ahern: "My English is bad," then added "It is a beautiful day." When Mr Ahern replied that it was unusual weather for this time of year in Ireland, Sr Zapatero replied: "It is a sunny day." "Enjoy it," said Mr Ahern. Sr Zapatero was greeted most effusively by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder and French President Jacques Chirac, as if to emphasize the new warm relationship between the three countries. Earlier in the week, Sr Zapatero had visited both men, who agreed to include Madrid in the Paris-Berlin axis. Last year, then Prime Minister José María Aznar managed to upset everyone in the EU, especially the French and Germans, when he insisted on Spain retaining the voting rights granted in the Treaty of Nice. Sr Zapatero has softened Spain's stance because of his commitment to get closer to Europe and further away from the United States, in a complete reversal of Sr Aznar's foreign policy.