Italy's prime minister, Mario Monti
Angela Merkel. Michael Gove. Owen Paterson. Boris Johnson. Iain Duncan Smith. Dozens of Conservative backbenchers. Now Mario Monti.
The list of people who think Britain needs a moment of clarity about its place in the European Union grows steadily. The Italian PM is among those European Union leaders who worry, increasingly publicly, that Britain is heading for the exit. They fear that without Britain's pro-market heft, the EU would become increasingly statist, hidebound and protectionist. Some people suspect Mr Cameron shares that fear, but isn't prepared to say so.
At home, the Conservative Party, feeling pressurised by Ukip, is increasingly tempted by, at the very least, a referendum, either on a renegotiated relationship with the EU, or on the big in/out question. Some people suspect Mr Cameron wants a referendum like a hole in the head, but isn't prepared to say so.
The remarks from Mr Monti, who is fairly Brit-friendly, prove that public speculation about Britain's future is now part of the political debate in Europe, just as it is becoming in Britain. For any number of reasons, Mr Cameron should probably do something about that speculation.
One day soon, we are told, the PM will answer all the questions, with a big shiny speech about Britain, Europe and the EU, and maybe even his "vision" for the ideal relationship between the three. Mr Monti's remarks suggest that speech needs to be very clear indeed, and should come sooner rather than later.
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