It seems to have become the fashion nowadays that when someone speaks out in favour of any government initiative, they are promptly branded as GonziPN apologists by those who like to pose as independent, balanced thinkers. It seems that for some people the only way to be intelligent and level-headed is to continuously attack whatever government does and nowhere is this offensive attitude more visible than on environmental issues.

The revision of development zone boundaries in 2006 is a case in point: for years we have assisted to an onslaught of wild accusations against the government (even though the revision was actually carried out by Mepa) and anybody who dared disagree with these accusations was told to shut up because "the people have spoken". In ever more strident tones we were assured that, of course, the revision exercise was yet another example of "GonziPN" being arrogant and breaking EU regulations.

We have now had the European Commission - after years of thorough investigation - stating officially that, no, the revision of boundaries did not breach any regulations and was a perfectly legal and legitimate process. Is the EU Commission also made up of PN apologists? Are they also close-minded and politically biased? I wonder what kind of invectives will now be levelled at the EU and how some know-it-alls will justify their bullying, morally-violent tactics.