Hereunder Sarkozy and Merkel’s messages to Turkey as well as their hidden agenda: “Although you are an official candidate to the EU and that the EU-Turkey negotiations started, you can’t be an EU member because you are not European.”

Umwälzungen in der arabischen Welt: Nach Jahrzehnten der Diktatoren und Fanatiker erhebt sich die Jugend. In Ägypten und Tunesien hat die Generation “Facebook” die Regime durch eine fast gewaltfreie Revolution gestürzt. In Libyen droht dagegen ein Blutbad. Diktator Gaddafi eröffnet das Feuer auf wehrlose Demonstranten. Es scheint, als wolle der brutale Exzentriker Krieg gegen sein [...]

Being at the World Social Forum in Dakar last week and listening to people, speeches as well participating at debates I sincerely got the impression that the relationship between Africa and Europe also needs change. Like the North African states, Europe has for too long defended “traditional” cooperation. From the time of independence – 50 [...]

Wenn Deutschland und Frankreich nicht einer Meinung sind, dann beklagen sich alle über Auflösungserscheinungen in Europa. Wenn sie übereinstimmen, dann gibt es Proteste wegen eines unannehmbaren Diktates …

About two weeks ago, the US Secretary of State still believed that “the Egyptian government is stable”. Not to be outdone, the department’s spokesman, PJ Crowley, proclaimed to the world that Egypt was “an anchor of stability”. These assessments come after a long series of mistakes and blunders that seem to have become the hallmark [...]

EPP leaders are doing their bit to help elect Fine Gael! Last week, I moaned a bit about European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso treating Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny to a photo opportunity in Brussels. I wondered if it was a bit paranoid to think that Barroso was heping his EPP buddy out by making [...]

Une improbable mais large coalition de députés travaillistes et conservateurs s’est opposée le 10 février dernier  à un projet du gouvernement qui tentait de mettre la Grande-Bretagne en conformité avec un jugement de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme autorisant le droit de vote aux détenus. L’amendement proposé par un tory, David Davis, et [...]

Watching events unfold in Cairo over the last two weeks, towards the dramatic climax of Hosni Mubarak’s resignation, has been an exciting and moving experience, reminiscent of those days when we watched the collapse of communism and the spread of democracy across central and eastern Europe 20 years ago. But it presents a formidable challenge [...]

Many youth decide to follow the courses of an educational institution without knowing if that particular career fits their personality or not. Furthermore, most of the theoretic courses don’t prepare students for the real-life experience of a certain profession.

‘Islam Awakes!‘ That’s what the news ticker said on the monitors of the press area of the European Council building on 4 February. Mubarak had already announced he was going. The European Council was in its usual secret session, closed to the press and closed to the public. On its agenda the topic of most [...]

Franco-German plans for a Competitiveness pact, which were put forward at the last EU summit have been met with great skepticism but done right, they could help address key areas of structural weaknesses.

Von den 189 mutigen Kämpfern in einer der berühmtesten Schlachten Amerikas, stammten 24 aus Europa. Dieses Jahr markiert den 175ten Jahrestag der Schlacht von Alamo, und San Antonio lädt Besucher aus Europa ein, an den Gedenkfeiern während des Jahres 2011 teilzunehmen.

While Yasmin Revolution in Tunisia inspired population throughout Arab world and wide support to change regime got decisive role in Egypt it was clear that Tunisia was not an isolated event – some process has started with geopolitical consequences. Mubarak’s ouster in Egypt is one step with process and it is still unclear how far [...]

Se plaçant dans une volonté de dialogue, le Commissaire Hammarberg  appelle les autorités à garantir la liberté d’expression et le pluralisme des médias.  « Lors du réexamen de ses lois sur les médias, la Hongrie devrait tenir compte des normes du Conseil de l’Europe sur la liberté d’expression et le pluralisme des médias », a-t-il [...]

Much fuss is currently being made in Austria and elsewhere of latest revelations on fraudulent exploitation of the Common Agricultural Policy. In “The Black Book of Agriculture – the intrigue of agricultural politics”, one Hans Weiss has opened the lid on fraud and misapplication of CAP subsidies in Austria. The book made headlines in Austria, found [...]