  We investigate a lattice model for Euclidean quantum gravity based on
discretization of the Palatini formulation of General Relativity. Using Monte
Carlo simulation we show that while a naive approach fails to lead to a vacuum
state consistent with the emergence of classical spacetime, this problem may be
evaded if the lattice action is supplemented by an appropriate counter term. In
this new model we find regions of the parameter space which admit a ground
state which can be interpreted as (Euclidean) de Sitter space.
