Montenegro has not followed the line of most EU countries and recognised its neighbour Kosovo as an independent state. Why not? Because doing so is "not high on its list of priorities": Everyone understands our positive distanced and considered views on Kosovo independence. Odd, that. Positive? Hard to say – […]
Watch, and be astounded. Various MEPs all of a sudden become shy of the media – when they are filmed at 0700 hrs, apparently improperly claiming their daily expenses… Which reminded me of George Harrison’s classic, Beware of Darkness: Watch out now, take careBeware of greedy leadersThey take you where […]
This is a sharp account of one serious Russian view on Russian energy issues: Mr Chubais has spent the past 10 years masterminding the break-up of UES, the Russian electricity monopoly, which will cease to exist next week after selling off its generators in the biggest liberalisation of Vladimir Putin’s presidency. His […]
Back from Brussels, hearing lots of theories about whether the Lisbon Treaty is dead, alive or in some sort of suspended animation. The core options appear to be these: brutalise/bribe the Irish into submitting mainly via various ‘Declarations’ aimed at meeting most of their identifiable concerns, allowing a further and […]
Should one support one’s own country at international sporting fixtures? If so, why? Take the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Bosnian Muslims (Bosniacs) and Bosnian Croats have been busy rioting again following the defeat of Croatia by Turkey in the Euro 2008 football match. The Bosniacs supported Turkey, the […]
This FT article is scary reading: European chief executives believe the Irish No vote in a referendum on the Lisbon treaty is bad for business as it weakens the European Union on the global stage against the Middle East, Russia and Asian countries. But we can relax. When one reads […]
France’s President Sarkozy warns that without the Lisbon Treaty there can be no more EU enlargement. A magnificent example of the mysterious mirror-world of EU negotiating. France of course does not want any more EU enlargement, especially if it includes Turkey. See eg lots of Parliamentary haggling in France over […]
The Polish media are reporting that Polish local government employees dealing with applications for EU funds are quitting their jobs to join the private sector, where pay is much higher. No surprise. The Polish Development Minister told me a while ago that the greatest problem Poland faced in spending its […]
What does it mean when it is said that the rate of inflation in Eurozone country X is greater than in countries Y and Z? Nothing? The fact that prices are going up is not in itself inflationary. The market expects or even in fact is prices going up and down. […]
Should the EU’s atom-sized sanctions on Cuba be lifted? Why not? They do not matter, as they are a Silly Noise unattached to a policy. The debate of course is not about whether these sanctions make a difference, symbolic or otherwise. It rather is about whether the EU should have […]
