Brussels, 20/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Union has just made a dramatic entrance at the Festival of Journalism in Perugia in the centre of Italy, which was attended by Commission Vice-President with responsibility for industry and entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani and former European commissioner and current Vice-President of the Italian Senate Emma Bonino. The Perugia Festival of Journalism is one of the most important fora in Italy for discussion of information and press issues. At the start of May, Europe Day on Monday 9 May will be celebrated with Festivals of Europe in Livorno and Florence, which will be attended by inter alia Commission President José Manuel Durão Barroso, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, Antonio Tajani, and Culture Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou. In Perugia, Tajani and Bonino took part in the debate “Europe: the Insider's View” with the Head of the Commission Representation in Italy Lucio Battistotti and journalists specialising in European affairs. Among the issues discussed were the problems facing the European Union with the rise in Euroscepticism, the economic crisis and the problems confronting the euro, the impact in Europe of events in North Africa, and differences over how to manage the wave of immigration from Tunisia and Libya. The debate was followed by the presentation of the journalism prizes awarded by the Commission Representation in Italy and the Association of Journalists of the School of Perugia. The “European Corner” stand, set up by the Representation in collaboration with the “Europe Direct” centre in Perugia, was open throughout the festival, and workshops on communicating on Europe were held. (Gp/transl.rt)