The devil, however, is in the detail, in particular the questions of how quickly countries should eliminate their controls and which circumstances might justify reimposing them.

ECONOMIST: The case for mild repression

Mr Tusk just about accuses his fellow EU leaders of hypocrisy for talking of integration and yet undoing the Schengen passport-free zone by reimposing some border controls.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne

MPs, who voted by a majority of more than 300 to approve the bill, were told by Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson that the Good Friday Agreement was the nearest thing to a "perfect settlement", but that reimposing direct rule from London might be the only way to save it.

BBC: News Online