International Herald Tribune – The wages of fundamentalism – Western Europe has overtaken the US in scientific research and how this shows Turkey shouldn’t join the EU. Erm… Okaaaay…

The BBC – European press review. Some interesting stuff today, including: “Austria’s Die Presse accuses British Prime Minister Tony Blair of misleading the public in his attack on EU agricultural spending… “According to the paper, if all public expenditure in … Continue reading →

The BBC – Blair says EU rebate ‘has to go’: Mr Blair said: “We have made it clear all the way through that we are prepared not just to discuss and negotiate upon, but to recognise that the rebate is … Continue reading →

Third Avenue has a post at the Sharpener on defining anti-Americanism. Interesting stuff, with some points well-made. TA’s main contention is that “anti-Americanism” is actually “anti-Bushism”, but that many of Bush’s critics have a tendency to refer to “America” rather … Continue reading →

European Democracy – Idea crisis or leadership crisis?: “the French and Dutch votes were directed against this EU, not against the EU”

Le Figaro – La diplomatie europ�enne sous tutelle anglo-saxonne: (approx. translated highlights) “the limit of Europe’s credibility in the world has been reached… the sordid battle on the budget between Jacques Chirac and Tony Blair… tarnishes the image of the … Continue reading →

The Times – Blair plans to scupper Chirac: “Under the British plan the Government would agree to scale back its �3 billion-a-year rebate in return for a fundamental review of EU spending in 2008, leading two years later to substantial … Continue reading →

EU Trade Commissioner and former dodgy UK minister Peter Mandelson has a comment piece in today’s Guardian following the budget summit last week. Sensible point: “This spells more than an unseemly squabble over money. It goes to the heart of … Continue reading →

Yet more “institutionalised leftism” at the BBC – it looks like they’ve appointed a former chairman of the Young Conservatives as their new Political Editor. Filthy pinko liberals…

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Legal Advice – yet more interesting stuff there which would suggest at best dodginess. But no one cares any more. Except the Iraqis, I imagine, and probably the soldiers out there fighting. They probably care quite … Continue reading →

(But it’s too pissing hot.)

Le Figaro – EL’Union s’enferme dans la politique de l’autruche: “The six countries that decided to defer their referenda (Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark, The Czech Republic, Portugal and probably Luxembourg) have made the right choice. For the remainder, it is … Continue reading →

A Fistful of Euros – You�d Better Move On: “more than a clash between �Europeans� and �Free Marketeers�, this is a question of what kind of relationship people expect between citizens and government and between government and �market forces�.” And … Continue reading →