A highlight of the Brussels calendar, Friends of Europe’s annual dinner brought together some 200 Friends of Europe Trustees along with EU Commissioners, Members of the European Parliament, Directors-General of the European Commission and other top officials from the EU Institutions and European governments, ministers, business and think-tank leaders, top NGO representatives and the international press. As usual, the aim of the event was to have a lively, informative and entertaining evening without prepared speeches. Our 200 VIP guests were served a good meal, and a unique cocktail of Irish “yes” and “no” campaigners, leading Christian-democrat, socialist and liberal voices ahead of the elections, blended with some BBC and Economist flavour and, of course, a good degree of Friends of Europe debating with critical voices….   On this year's menu: - Saving "Europe" from the meltdown: Policy priorities for the years ahead - Should we now tear up the Lisbon Treaty? Introduction by Giles Merritt, Secretary General, Friends of Europe Interviews of the panellists and the critics by Shirin Wheeler, BBC, and David Rennie, The Economist Panellists: Corien Wortmann-Kool MEP, Vice-President of the EPP-ED and Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on International Trade Pat Cox, ELDR, Former Chairman oof the ELDR and Former President of the European Parliament Gary Titley MEP,  PSE, Leader of the British Labour Group in the European Parliament Critical voices: Patricia McKenna, Member of the Irish Green Party, once Ireland's first Green MEP and one of the leaders of the Irish Campaign against the EU Constitution Jens-Peter Bonde, Former President of the Independence/Democracy Group at the European Parliament, President of the EUDemocrats Roger Helmer MEP, non-attached Member of the European Parliament