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The candidate countries that will join the EU next year have brought new layers of diversity to an already diverse EU. Did they expect it to be so difficult to reach agreement on how the EU should function in the future? Pavel Telicka is the Czech Republics Ambassador to the EU

In the end the biggest disagreement among the 25 nations gathered in Brussels to decide the constitution was voting power. Germany and France, which together account for one-third of the bloc's population want the voting system to reflect their size. That is decision a majority of states representing a majority of population would be enough to take decisions. But Spain and Poland fought a fierce battle to hold on to a voting system agreed three years ago at the Nice summit. This guaranteed both countries 27 votes each in the future enlarged European

Defence policy was also a contentious part of the constitution debate. The mutual defence clause - which obliges EU countries to assist any other member that comes under attack - had originally been objected to by the EU's four neutral countries - Sweden, Finland, Ireland and Austria. Austria has since said it's more willing to accept a revised proposal. But why was the issue so important for Austria?

Central Europe has given birth to many great composers. Bela Bartok of Hungary, the Czech Republic's Antonin Dvorak - not to mention, Austria's Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. And this weekend, a 24 hour-long musical marathon of the works of the Polish composer, Henryk Mikolaj Górecki, is being held to celebrate his 70th birthday.

In Slovakia, the recent vandalism of a Jewish cemetery in the east of the country has stirred anger among members of its tiny Jewish community. Since October, two other Jewish cemeteries have been vandalized. Do these acts reflect a growth in anti-Semitism in Slovakia?

It's almost eleven years since Czechoslovakia split into two separate countries, and until the split, Czechs and Slovaks had little difficulty understanding each other. But now things are slowly beginning to change. A generation of Czech children has grown up with no real exposure to Slovak - and visa versa -, and when the two countries join the EU, interpreters might even be used for official talks. Radio Prague's Rob Cameron has been speaking to Roderick Jones, who's in charge of recruiting Czech translators for the European Commission.

An exhibition "Monet and Friends" has just opened at the Museum of Fine arts in Budapest. It is being described as one of the biggest art events in Hungary for several decades. Some 70 impressionist paintings and drawings from European and US museums will be on display until March 15.

Israel's prime minister says anti-Semitism is rising in Europe. He remarks follow a number of attacks on Jews and Jewish interests over the past few months. But is anti-Semitism really increasing across the whole of Europe? And is hostility towards Israeli policy in the Middle East leading to anti-Jewish feeling? Sarah Johnson put the question to Aaron Rhodes, Executive Director of the Vienna-based International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights...

As EU expansion approaches, all eyes are on regulations that will influence daily life in the new member states - but what about ways in which EU policy will influence art, in particular filmmaking? A project led by Austrian EU MP Mercedes Echerer called "EU XXL" has brought together filmmakers from the old and new members to make sure this new era in European cinema gets off to a good start.

The UN Aids organisation says there's a climate of fear and ignorance about Aids - and that leads to reluctance to confront rising infection rates. But in Poland there are some positive signs of a change in attitude.