Letters - Hail Brussels! The boring capital could do with a European

Julian Paleson has hit the nail on the head (page 6, 10 May). The European Union is indeed boring. Its focus is on sleep-inducing subjects such as VAT harmonisation and straight bananas.

To the extent that it appeals to people, its appeal is to the head rather than the heart. To be successful it needs to appeal on a broader front.

I propose a European Emperor. I have a vision of an imperial ball (reported in Hello magazine) with candlelit chandeliers, women in beautiful dresses and men in Ruritanian uniforms.

There are competing European capitals such as Achen, Rome and Vienna but a peripatetic Emperor is a positive advantage in a Europe of nation states. But surely there can be no competition for the most suitable candidate for the role: a Hapsburg, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, heir to the Holy Roman Empire, heir to the Roman Empire in whose beneficent rule most Europeans were once encompassed.

Bernard Danson, London.