If there’s something strange in your polity, who you gonna blame? The long answer—perhaps very long indeed for anyone visiting Paris this week—might entail summoning the ghosts of national governments past, present and even future (if a new French one is ever formed). Or you could invoke the traditional spectre: “Brussels”. The ritual scapegoating of the European Union, a foggy realm of incomprehensible acronyms, is the oldest trick in modern continental politics. Aren’t “Brussels” the unaccountable lot who regulate industry into an early grave, badger governments about their debt levels, then give Trumpians whatever they want on trade? Treating the EU as a ghoulish bogeyman has been somewhat in abeyance ever since Britain overdosed on the idea, much to its cost. But the old spirit is haunting Europe once again. A look at the upcoming political agenda suggests that a lot more Brussels-bashing may soon be upon us. Boo!