If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars. At the moment, there are thunderstorms across Europe, from Brexit to Ukraine and from Polish populism to Italian euro-defiance. Yet several of these crises contain their own hidden opportunities. Another Europe is possible.

For a start, French president Emmanuel Macron continues to articulate an ambitious vision for a stronger EU. Yes, he sometimes looks more like the proverbial Dutch boy with his finger in a leaking dike than Napoleon advancing across the Alps, and yes, he has major difficulties at home, as French protesters play out their familiar revolutionary theatre.

But the silver lining in those clouds is that his team are becoming more realistic about what they can achieve. For example, dreams of a Europe-wide En Marche in May’s European elections are being scaled back to the more modest target of a parliamentary grouping of existing Liberal Democrat and new Macroniste forces.