Opinion / European Union and Wider Europe

Eurozone: Morally Insolvent or Illiquid?

Back from baking amazing Dubai. Impressions to be recorded separately. Check out this superb piece of work from Frances Coppola, ‘one-time professional banker’, on the difference between between being ‘illiquid’ and being ‘insolvent’. The key point to grasp is that you are 100% bust if you can not pay your […]

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Spain (not) in the Eurozone: Horribler and Horribler

This is another adroit piece of analysis on the Eurozone’s misery, written by Michael Pettis of the  Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management – what a change of civilisations we see as such analysis is written from China – in language most of us can think we understand. It focuses on […]

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Tomislav Nikolic – New President of Serbia?

In a result unexpected by me at least (I am not following Serbia’s goings-on too closely these days, and the polls suggested that Tadic would win again) Tomislav Nikolic as leader of the Serbian Progressive Party has won Serbia’s Presidential Elections today by a clear nose, ousting former President Boris […]

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EU Godzilla Napoleon – Incoming!

The Daily Express warns us that a new massive figure is set to take over Europe – just like the Holy Roman Emperor! And Napoleon! The UK will be scrapped! A covert group of EU foreign ministers has drawn up plans for merging the jobs currently done by Herman Van Rompuy, […]

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Trust in Europe

Here’s the link to my latest Telegraph Blog piece on Trust, Sovereignty and Reality: Let’s agree that we need more Trust. How in fact to get it? Can it be "built" or "rebuilt" by clever leaders? Or does it emerge in a mysterious, organic, bottom-up way? One of Europe’s most […]

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Progress in Europe

I have written something for Telegraph Blogs about Trust in Europe (and scorpions). I’l put up the link when there is one. It refers to this piece by Matthias Machnig, which, strive as I do, I simply cannot understand: Economic growth has reached the limits of what is ecologically viable. […]

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Scotland Independent – and in the EU

Is this headline from the FT meant to send a subliminal message about the merits of Scottish independence and the way the European Union operates? Salmond plots Scotland’s future in EU SNP leader promises higher public spending What could go wrong?

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EU/China Negotiations

Many countries are unhappy about the EU’s carbon tax on airlines. China has now blocked important sales of Airbus aircraft to Chinese companies. Ouch! But this struck my eye in the BBC report: Mr Gallois said opposition by Beijing could affect the sales of at least two dozen long-haul A330 […]

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Man’s Natural Condition

Instapundit regularly serves up this

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How Not To Write a Letter: EDDS Erupts

I fear that the Prime Minister was ill-advised to allow his name to be attached to an astonishly bad and strange letter sent to ‘Presidents’ Van Rompuy and Barroso by twelve national EU member state leaders. Parts of it was written by the EU’s version of our old friend the […]

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