To the Romans, the festivities which we call Christmas and they called Saturnalia marked the depth of winter.
They were accompanied by some bizarre rituals. Normal roles, for example, would be reversed — with families waiting upon their servants (sometimes slaves, too), who were allowed to get drunk and air their views on their employers.
Alcohol can fuel dangerous candour — thus the phrase ‘in vino veritas’.
When celebrations were over, servants were (apparently) forgiven for their drunken rudeness and, with the worst of the winter over, life was bound to get better.
Oversea threat: The EU has brought down prime ministers before. Will it do so again?If only, government ministers murmur, they could share such optimism. There is a distinct air of rebellion in the servants’ hall.
They snap about the planned ‘minimum price for alcohol’ plan. They snarl about the gay marriage proposal.
Above all, there is the relentless, eternal problem about EU membership which has bedevilled the Tory Party for nearly half a century.
We should remind ourselves that Europe has brought down two or maybe even three prime ministers.
Margaret Thatcher was ousted by an attack from the fanatically pro-Europe Michael Heseltine.
Former PM John Major fell foul of his party in a battle with Maastricht Treaty rebelsJohn Major lost all authority in his fight with the Maastricht Treaty rebels — the ‘bastards’ as he called them.
During the leadership contest which he then daringly launched, Tory MPs declined to give him the vote of confidence he wanted. His days were numbered.
Before this pair, there was Ted Heath. The 1974 election that ended his disastrous prime ministership certainly owed something to Harold Wilson’s wily promise to renegotiate EU membership terms and call a referendum.
Whether it was the key issue behind his defeat is something the psephologists still argue about but the answer is: ‘Yes, very probably.’
This is an astonishing list of scalps. David Cameron, if he does not look out, will be victim No 4.
On issues other than Europe, remedies can be achieved by a few U-turns or promises of free votes.
But EU membership — including its effect on immigration — remains the Big Issue, refusing to go away however much he ducks and dives.
All the while, the threat from UKIP grows. It has been fascinating to watch Mr Cameron try to steer his way out of trouble.
But Tory backbenchers — to say nothing of some Cabinet ministers — are scared about their survival and contemplating private election deals with UKIP.
We must now be patient. The PM’s promised Big Speech will come next month — much- postponed in order to find time to devise a way of squaring the circle. We await with fascination.
Don't mention democracyRome, modern not ancient, has become a cause of concern in the eurozone because a General Election has been called in Italy for February.
It follows the resignation of Mario Monti, whose premiership has not produced the smooth path to normal politics that had been hoped for.
Though a technocrat appointed by Brussels and serving only because the Italian President asked him to, he has now decided to stand in the election.
The prospect of the return of Silvio Berlusconi evidently stirred his patriotic instincts.
We can be certain that Monti will argue for the need for a continuing period of austerity which the budget, just passed, will deliver.
Italy's former Prime Minister Mario Monti will run for office against Silvio BerlusconiIf he fails to win the election, Italy will be back to square one or worse. The new element of uncertainty makes Italian banks and investors worried.
Meanwhile, across Europe, the big question in the coming year will be old-fashioned and very political. It is: How much pain will the voters in Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal be prepared to endure as the eurozone slips yet deeper into recession?
In the period between the two world wars, half-a-dozen countries in Western Europe — most obviously Italy and Germany — succumbed to totalitarian rule.
We assume, too optimistically, that such developments will not happen again.
As for Britain, the German finance minister, Herr Wolfgang Schauble, says it is wrong for our Coalition government to contemplate a referendum or try to ‘blackmail’ the EU by threatening to leave.
He complains that this creates ‘uncertainty’. Yes, it does. It is one of those inevitable features of democracy which some politicians do not care for.
Perhaps ‘the people’ should not be consulted at all. It would be so much tidier.
Westminster, Brussels, Oxford, Hong Kong, the BBC — is there a universe large enough to contain all the talents of Lord (Chris) Patten?My memory of the ubiquitous peer extends to the time when he was presiding at a Tory conference; Margaret Thatcher had spoken and was sitting down to rapturous applause. She tried to push back her chair to acknowledge the cheers. But somehow Patten’s own chair was in the way.She had to stay seated and the ovation died down. This man will go far, I thought.Meanwhile, let us send seasonal greetings to Baroness Thatcher.
