I am a believer, but I affirm that in public buildings the law of the Republic overrides religious rules.
It's a different outlook, and one that I understand. When you are a former member of the Warsaw Pact, when you have lived behind the Berlin Wall, when you have experienced the communist systems that existed in these countries, for them, the West represents hope.
Let them be reassured, it has never been one of our intentions to ban religion in society, but solely to protect the national education system from any conspicuous display of religious affiliation.
Prohibiting a visible religious sign, which isn't a manifestation of militancy, would look like a fight against religions.
I believe that transatlantic relations are very important and that President Bush's visit to Brussels, in a few days, will have a major impact on that.
We must stress that the euro has been beneficial to the European Union because, otherwise, in this context of international turmoil, every country would have to devalue their currencies.
