October 10, 2005
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
Looks like the balance of power in europe has shifted – Angela Merkel to take over the German Chancellorship. So, the left(ish) anti-war, pro-France leader of Europe’s largest economy is replaced with a right-wing, pro-war, pro-Busher who has hinted at … Continue reading
October 6, 2005
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
Well, after Turkey and Croatia, now it looks like Brussels is turning its attention to Ukraine, with Orange Revolution head Victor Yuschenko’s Prime Minister (no, not the fit one, she’s gone – the new one…) heading off for talks in … Continue reading
October 4, 2005
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
Heh – via a friendly French reader, Le Monde ponders why, as Gordon may have to wait a while longer to become Prime Minister, doesn’t he go off and save France, Germany and Italy from their disastrous heads of state … Continue reading
September 26, 2005
by Nosemonkey
8 Comments
The country works via a complex federal structure based on various different bodies elected in various different ways – from fairly straight PR through to the indirectly-elected Federal Supreme Court. The majority of powers remain devolved to a local level … Continue reading
September 22, 2005
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on The constitution rears its ugly head once more
Today the European Parliment’s Constitutional Affairs Committee is expected to follow yesterday’s entirely sensible point from Commission head Jos� Manuel Barroso that debate on the future of Europe has stalled with an announcement that the old provisional constitution is dead … Continue reading
September 16, 2005
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Kroes, Merkel and Commission impartiality
German elections: Controversial Dutch EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes (who caused a bit of fuss a year ago during the confirmation hearings for Barroso’s Commission thanks to her links to umpteen business interests and unproven allegations of shady dealings) has … Continue reading
September 9, 2005
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
Awwww! Poor Charles Clarke! His massively intrusive plans for poking into every aspect of our insignificant lives seem to have run into a bit of opposition: the European Telecommunications Network Operators’s Association has branded Charlie’s data retention plans illegal, dubbed … Continue reading
September 7, 2005
by Nosemonkey
9 Comments
Charles Clarke’s speech to the European Parliament from this morning (link courtesy of a kindly comment). Apparently the reason some people are wary of the EU is that it “does not appear to give sufficient priority to offering practical solutions … Continue reading
September 5, 2005
by Nosemonkey
5 Comments
Heads up, people – ID cards propaganda phase two is under way, and it’s starting in the gloomy recesses of the EU where no newspaper ever dares send its reporters. Today the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and … Continue reading
July 29, 2005
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
No, no, no – of COURSE I’m not implying that the rampantly corrupt Italian multimillionaire media baron cum Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is himself a disaster, a rip off and screwing everybody (though he bloody well is), merely quoting this … Continue reading
July 27, 2005
by Nosemonkey
7 Comments
As regular readers of this blog will know, I’m no economist and numbers tend to confuse me. But still, this doesn’t look good: “According to the latest revisions, the EU25 external current account recorded a deficit of 22.5 billion euro … Continue reading
July 21, 2005
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
There’s been a lot of fuss about the European steel industry in recent months, with various spats with the US over tarrifs and production and the like. All fair enough – important industry and what have you. But when you … Continue reading
July 20, 2005
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Expanding free trade
Two large trading blocs using subsidies and tax breaks to give their own businesses an advantage in the global market? Who’d have thought it? Yep, it’s the EU/US show again! And this time the poor little diddums have gone running … Continue reading
July 20, 2005
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on The Dutch to the rescue! (No, not really…)
Netherlands PM Jan Peter Balkenende in today’s Guardian: “it is increasingly clear that the public’s attitude towards Europe has changed. The desire for peace and stability is no longer an ironclad argument for further European integration… “Do we want an … Continue reading