[IRISHTIMES] Greece kicked off its fifth presidency of the Council of the European Union yesterday with the motto: "Europe: Our Common Quest." But for the people of Greece, the ideal of European solidarity has never seemed so remote.As riot police guarded the entrance to official buildings, and the government imposed an 18-hour ban on protests ahead of the visit of EU commissioners, Athens in many ways seemed a city under siege.
The ancient capital close to the shores of the Aegean Sea is accustomed to conquest. Throughout history it has seen the Roman, Byzantine and the Ottoman empires come and go. But for many Greeks, the European Union has become the latest manifestation of foreign political dominance.