My genuine belief is that if we can get through the eurozone

Hear the words of the statesman, Enda Kenny, spoken in a time of trial for his people: “My genuine belief is that if we can get through the eurozone crisis from a political point of view, we've got a lot of engines that can drive our economy, that will restore confidence and get us moving on.” These words arise not only from the struggles of modern nations but from the eternal truth that storms, no matter how fierce, can be weathered if leaders and citizens alike remain steadfast. For he reminds us that the crisis is not only economic, but also political, and that unity, trust, and vision are as important as currency or commerce.

The meaning is this: when a people face disaster, their survival depends not only on wealth, but on confidence. If the heart of the nation is broken by fear, even the strongest resources will lie idle. But if the spirit of the people is stirred, if they believe that renewal is possible, then hidden engines of growth and resilience will awaken. Thus, Kenny speaks of more than numbers and debts; he speaks of the soul of a nation, and of the belief that through steadfast governance, hope may be restored and progress renewed.

The ancients knew this wisdom. Consider the city of Athens after the Persian wars. Their temples lay in ruins, their lands scarred, their people weary. Yet Themistocles declared that their true strength lay not in stone, but in their spirit and their fleet. With confidence restored, Athens rose from ashes to lead an age of brilliance. So too does Kenny’s voice echo this truth: confidence restored is the seed of rebirth.

History also gives us the example of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the time of the Great Depression. The banks had collapsed, the people despaired, and unemployment spread like fire. Roosevelt’s first gift was not gold or policy, but words: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” By restoring belief, he lit the engines of industry once more. Like Kenny, he saw that crises are fought first in the heart, and only then in the marketplace. The political must guide the economic, for politics unites the will of the people.

Kenny also reminds us of the need to move on. For nations, like men, cannot remain forever in grief or fear. To dwell endlessly on calamity is to remain chained. But to endure, to make wise decisions, and then to press forward is to live. Just as Rome endured sack and invasion, yet rose again to endure for centuries, so too must any people lift their gaze from the ruins to the road ahead. The call is not to despair, but to act, to build, to recover.

The lesson for us is clear: in every crisis, whether of nations or of individuals, the greatest power is the ability to believe in renewal. Do not give your heart to fear, for fear devours confidence, and without confidence, no recovery is possible. Look instead to the engines within you—your skills, your relationships, your wisdom, your endurance. If you nurture them with discipline and courage, they will carry you through storms, just as the engines of a nation’s economy can carry its people through times of hardship.

Practical action must follow. In your own life, when crises arise, do not waste yourself in endless dread. Take wise counsel, set firm resolve, and kindle confidence within. Identify the engines of your own strength and set them to work, however small the beginnings may seem. Encourage others, for confidence spreads like fire; despair, like rot, consumes silently. Stand as both citizen and leader, and by your courage, help others to move forward.

For remember this eternal truth: crisis is never the end, but the forge in which renewal is shaped. The nations that endure are those that restore confidence; the men and women who prevail are those who move on with courage. Enda Kenny’s words, though born of the eurozone storm, are a teaching for all ages: believe, endure, and rise again—for within every people and every soul are engines waiting to be awakened.