In the narrow world of Brussels politics, high entertainment is looming. On Wednesday, Declan Ganley, founder of anti-treaty group Libertas, will face off with Dany ‘le Rouge’ Cohn-Bendit, co-leader of the Greens in the European Parliament in a debate on Europe. And already everybody’s talking about it.

To some in Brussels, Ganley is the devil himself. Charging around, upsetting the political apple cart with loose talk about the treaty all the while claiming to be pro-European. To others, Ganley, who wants to be an MEP, is bringing a welcome edge to the EU political debate ahead of the European elections.

But still he remains an unknown entity in the EU capital. While most have read about him – the Irish businessman who spearheaded a successful campaign against the Lisbon Treaty resulting in Ireland’s no vote last year – few have heard him speak, let alone debate.

He will be facing one of Brussels’ best known politicians. Cohn-Bendit, of 1968er fame, is strongly pro-European, highly opinionated, and a good debater. Ganley, who only recently made the switch from the boardroom to politics, has yet to show himself to be in the same league.

Still I am looking forward to the meeting. Ganley, I feel, is indeed tapping into a swell of people who feel alienated by Brussels. But I don’t think his one-horse campaign – table-thumping, slogan-filled but ultimately lacking in ideas as it is – is the answer.

At the recent unveiling of Libertas’ Brussels office – in which he harangued journalists like they needed to be converted to his politics – the party’s list of ‘principles’ consisted of a ragbag of ideas including less EU meetings, making MEPs’ expenses public and reducing the Union’s annual budget. There was little of what Libertas stood for and much of what it stood against.

So let the gloves come off on Wednesday – but let it be a debate on substance…