Eamonn Fitzgerald's Rainy Day

During the darkest days of the Bush tyranny presidency, we never lost hope, because despite the shutting down of opposition newspapers, the rounding up of bloggers and the suppression of dissenting voices (Eh? Ed.), there was always the beacon of Europe, which generously offered refuge to persecuted Hollywood stars and affluent Gotham authors. Seers such as Jermey Rifkin assured us that the enlightened old continent was the new future and when it rewarded an immigrant's son and a woman with the highest political offices, it seemed as if he was right.

But the Rifkin dream has taken a few knocks in recent times as Europe's inability to decouple from the American train (wreck) becomes apparent, and then there's the matter of the never-ending presidential election campaign on the other side of the Atlantic that stirred global interest and envy. Was this not democracy in its fullest flower? Did the result not suggest that the American marriage of new technology and inspirational leadership is now the template for popular government?

Which brings us back to Europe, where elections to the European Parliament will be held in the 27 member states of the EU between 4 and 7 June. But the joy at this prospect is somewhat restrained: "Despite the European Parliament's status as the EU institution trusted most by citizens, interest in June's forthcoming European elections remains low and the omens for voter turnout are not good, according to a recent poll."

Time, then, to call in the bloggers, the Facebookers, the Twitterers and the rest of the social media lot, which is exactly what the Th!nk About It initiative is all about. It kicks off on Sunday in Brussels and Rainy Day will be there. We'll get out the vote. Just wait and see, Jermey Rifkin.