The European Social Forum in Paris in November 2003 stated in its final document: "We march for a Europe that refuses war". At the same time, many European countries - Britain, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, to mention just a few - were contributing troops to the "coalition of the willing" occupying Iraq, and the heads of the European Union were discussing a new "EU constitution", with a heavy military component, which would mark a major milestone in the militarisation of the European Union (see article below).
A Europe that refuses war? Hardly.