June 23, 2007
by Nosemonkey
10 Comments
I wasn’t expecting that. Not in a month of dodgy backroom discussions, bad compromises, and shoddy short-term attempts at political face-saving. Yep – they’ve actually struck a deal on a new EU treaty. However, I’ll have to reserve judgement on … Continue reading
June 18, 2007
by Nosemonkey
5 Comments
So, according to a poll for the Financial Times, a decent majority of Europeans want the chance to vote on whatever treaty / constitution eventually emerges for the future of Europe. We’ve now got everyone from the full-on eurosceptic UKIP … Continue reading
June 11, 2007
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
Since the initial expansion to 25 member states back in 2004, the future of the EU has been wildly uncertain. The constitution was supposed to sort everything out but, as we all know, that little project has failed dismally. For … Continue reading
May 23, 2007
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on The UK’s current EU policy: nonexistent
A revealing interview with Geoff Hoon in Le Figaro (in English) has confirmed something I’ve suspected for quite a while now – the UK simply does not have an EU policy. Hoon, following his poor showing with the Defence portfolio … Continue reading
May 14, 2007
by Nosemonkey
6 Comments
You see, the thing about the EU is that it’s first and foremost supposed to promote and facilitate free trade. Of course, as not every country in the world is a member of the EU, what it’s ended up being … Continue reading
May 12, 2007
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
Les Fatales Picards are a work of absolute genius. That bald guy – perfect! Sadly no cheerleaders during the live finals, but still. Fantastic stuff – they’ve single-handedly revived my interest in pop music: Update: Actually, sod that – maybe … Continue reading
May 11, 2007
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
The aftermath of the collapse of Yugoslavia hardly needs much repeating, considering the more violent parts of it were on our tellies throughout the 1990s. What’s surprising, however, is the differing fates of the three largest countries to have emerged … Continue reading
May 9, 2007
by Nosemonkey
10 Comments
Well THERE’s a surprise – the European Commission has announced that the Imperial system of weights and measures can continue to be used indefinitely. This was always going to be the outcome – though it would have been nicer if … Continue reading
May 7, 2007
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
Well, Sarkozy’s in, John Reid’s out, and this is a day late. My bad. Let’s try it country by country this time, for the sake of clarity… Armenia You’d think they had enough to worry about with Turkey, but now … Continue reading
May 2, 2007
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
Anyone even slightly familiar of the chain of events that led to the fall of the Soviet Union and European communism will be aware of the importance of the Solidarity movement. Short version: it was one of the sparks that … Continue reading
April 25, 2007
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Presidential problems – France and Romania
At one end of Europe, the invective is beginning to rise again in the French elections, as today is the day third-placed centrist Francois Bayrou is expected to announce who – if anyone – he’s going to throw his support … Continue reading
April 23, 2007
by Nosemonkey
20 Comments
One of my most unrelenting (and occasionally nutty) eurosceptic visitors popped up the other day reckoning that I must hate St George’s Day because I’m pro-EU (yes, he’s one of those who rarely reads/understands what I write, so has me … Continue reading
April 22, 2007
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Euroblog roundup 3
Is up now at Siberian Light (ta Andy!) – loads of good stuff, from Moldovan web awards (yes, really) to the French elections. Speaking of which, it’s the long-expected Sarko/Sego runoff (my prediction of an additional last-minute surge for Bayrou … Continue reading
April 21, 2007
by Nosemonkey
5 Comments
The latest polls (also the last, what with voting about to take place in the first round) putting Sarkozy and Royal just 1% apart – and Le Pen overtaking Bayrou. It’s all still hugely unpredictable, in other words. According to … Continue reading