January 6, 2014
by Nosemonkey
10 Comments
The lack of a clear public sphere or demos across the EU has long been used as a stick to beat down any suggestion that there could one day be proper pan-European democracy, as well as to decry the EU’s … Continue reading
January 4, 2014
by Nosemonkey
8 Comments
Sock it to ‘im, Prof Evans! http://zite.to/1cr5zxb “‘ How can you possibly claim that Britain was fighting for democracy and liberal values when the main ally was Tsarist Russia? That was a despotism that put Germany in the shade and … Continue reading
January 3, 2014
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
George Soros is usually worth a read, even if you don’t agree with him. To mark the new year, he’s fired off a piece on The World Economy’s Shifting Challenges, which includes these gloriously optimistic passages: “Future [European] crises will … Continue reading
January 3, 2014
by Nosemonkey
5 Comments
A review of a book I’ve been meaning to pick up (Danubia: A Personal History of Habsburg Europe, by Simon Winder) has some useful passages: “Austria-Hungary seems rarely to be taken seriously, appearing as ‘genial, backward and ineffectual, in a … Continue reading
January 2, 2014
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
Nicely depressing piece for the start of the year. “As in previous years, the fundamental problem haunting the global economy in 2013 remained a lack of global aggregate demand. This does not mean, of course, that there is an absence … Continue reading
January 2, 2014
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
One of the more useful pieces I found over the festive period, thanks to Craig Willy – a rare outsider to the European system who actually understands how it works, and as such an excellent guide who comes with limited … Continue reading
January 1, 2014
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
What is ostensibly a review of Tony Judt’s astounding Postwar ends up something rather wonderful: http://m.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/12/the-myth-of-western-civilization/282704/ “Nations seem to require myth… the European super-nation has long needed to believe itself above the world, above native America, above Asia, and particularly … Continue reading
January 1, 2014
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
From Jerry Brotton’s promising A History of the World in Twelve Maps (got for Christmas, currently reading, good so far, but too soon to properly rate it): “virtually all Greek wtiters point to Anaximander as the first thinker to provide … Continue reading
January 1, 2014
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
Not sure what approach to take yet, but I don’t get to write as much in the day job as I’d like and an getting rusty. Will likely be a bit random to begin as I work it all out … Continue reading
July 14, 2012
by Nosemonkey
26 Comments
So, supposedly in a bid to allow any future in-out referendum on UK membership of the EU to be based on facts rather than ideology (fat chance), Foreign Secretary William Hague has announced an “audit” of the influence of EU … Continue reading
July 9, 2012
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
(Sorry for blogging silence – I’ve been asked to write a book on the eurocrisis and European integration, so have been deep in research working out if I understand the current situation enough to do so.) It’s been a bit … Continue reading
June 19, 2012
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
This piece on Crooked Timber really is superb. A few highlights – but do read it in full: “the fuzzy compromise between supposedly depoliticized trans-national rules (run by the ECB), and national-level responsibility for compliance, is now increasingly problematic. Countries … Continue reading
June 18, 2012
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on The FP Twitterati 100 – including me, it seems…
I appear to have been listed among prestigious company in Foreign Policy magazine’s Twitterati Top 100. I’m rather flattered, it must be said – not least because Foreign Policy’s been rather good of late. In fact, I have a draft … Continue reading
June 14, 2012
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
This blog’s most popular post ever remains one from June 2009 on the percentage of laws that come from the EU. It’s won me an award and been quoted in numerous follow-up studies, including one by the House of Commons … Continue reading