August 15, 2008
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
From the press conference held by Condoleezza Rice this afternoon on the South Ossetia situation: “the way that Russia has brutally pushed this military operation well beyond the bounds of anything that might have related to South Ossetia calls into … Continue reading
August 13, 2008
by Nosemonkey
10 Comments
So, despite the apparent truce following Moscow’s insanely over-the-top response to Georgia’s silly South Ossetian venture, it sounds like Russia’s still “peacekeeping” in Georgian territory. This is otherwise known as “invading a sovereign nation just for the hell of it”. … Continue reading
August 11, 2008
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
So it seems that Georgia just doesn’t know when she’s beat – although quite what the real situation is there nobody seems to know, as there’s so much disinformation around. Who’s at fault here – Russia or Georgia? The answer’s … Continue reading
August 6, 2008
by Nosemonkey
6 Comments
So then, nutty eurosceptic types who blamed the so-called Metric Martyrs‘ persecution on the EU (rather than, erm… a combination of a pre-EEC British decision to simplify measurements and their own obstinacy in not maintaining legal scales) – what’s the … Continue reading
August 6, 2008
by Nosemonkey
7 Comments
This started off as a reply to comments on this post, but got a bit lengthy… The Convention on the Future of Europe (which drew up the failed EU Constitution) was, in its early stages, a step in the right … Continue reading
August 5, 2008
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
Bad news for Brussels, as the World Health Organisation slams the Common Agricultural Policy: The cardiovascular disease burden attributable to CAP appears substantial. Furthermore, these calculations were conservative estimates, and the true mortality burden may be higher. More here: Direct … Continue reading
August 5, 2008
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on The Czech Republic and the Lisbon Treaty
Handy overview today from the EU Observer – worth a look for UK-centered readers as well, as these guys are the closest that Tory leader David Cameron’s got to allies on the continent, so may just provide a hint as … Continue reading
August 5, 2008
by Nosemonkey
6 Comments
Thus spake Tony Blair, echoing Gerhard Schröder, following the negotiations for the shoddy Treaty of Nice back in 2000. And yet the last eight years have seen the European Union do business in exactly the same way, time and time … Continue reading
July 28, 2008
by Nosemonkey
5 Comments
Ten years after its foundation, the European Central Bank is getting its first big test. Can it – and the Eurozone – survive the coming recession? Continue reading
July 24, 2008
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
It’s about time I updated the EU Blog Directory, so here are the latest additions – some new, some merely new discoveries, all worth checking out. If I’m still missing any, please do let me know… The 8th Circle – … Continue reading
July 23, 2008
by Nosemonkey
6 Comments
It’s a question I’ve asked before, not least when the backwards Balkan oddity first joined. And now, finally, the EU powers that be seem to have noticed that, erm… letting in a notoriously corrupt, organised crime-ridden country with a dodgy … Continue reading
July 21, 2008
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
Potentially promising stuff for those of us who dislike the CAP – though worrying news for Europe’s beleaguered farmers: Europe’s farmers will be “major losers” from a new world trade deal, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has admitted. He told … Continue reading
July 21, 2008
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
In the US, the Founding Fathers occupy a near-sacred place in the national myth and national consciousness – a glorious pantheon of visionaries who helped guide the divided States to their destiny as a greater whole. In Europe, bar in … Continue reading
July 17, 2008
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Belgium as role-model for the EU
An interesting discussion’s kicked off in the comments to that history of Belgium piece, looking at how the current Belgian crisis could prove a very useful case study and model for future EU reform. It kicks of with this from … Continue reading