Credit Rating Agencies have a central role in the crisis of the Euro. Their downgrades are much feared by European policy-makers who are trying to cope with the mounting pressures on their single currency and its constituent member-states. Over the years of the crisis these downgrades are considered among the primary sources of the negative [...]

For a long time the public opinion in the world believed that in Russia there were two roles written out: Putin – the tough guy, and Medvedev – the liberal. The recent demonstrations have supposedly created additional reasons supporting this thesis. I do not believe it. The two men are playing exactly the same card [...]

Le parlement hongrois a adopté vendredi matin 30 décembre le projet de loi sur l’encadrement de la banque centrale, en dépit des objections formulées par l’Union européenne et la Banque centrale européenne, qui y voient une remise en cause de l’indépendance des autorités monétaires. La lettre du président José Manuel Barroso s’est vu opposé une [...]

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)  is now broadcasting a Monnet-propaganda view of Europe. Its emphasis on Monnet the initiator of everything European is not only false but its anti-British tone is likely to turn the younger generation off Europe. Monnet is shown as ignoring the British concerns. Yet he seemingly controls the French, US and [...]

There are many good reasons to be a vegetarian. So why then does the Risk-Monger still eat meat?

For decades Europe has fallen victim to different terrorist attacks. The policy of increased judicial cooperation between member states had already been agreed in Tampere Programme of 1999. A Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA on combating terrorism was adopted on 13 June 2002. The anti-terrorism policy has been extended after the 2004 bombings in Madrid, the [...]

PERSPECTIVAS POLÍTICAS: El calendario electoral de la Unión Europea el año 2012 vendrá marcado por tres comicios: 15 de enero, elecciones presidenciales en Finlandia. 22 de abril, elecciones presidenciales en Francia. Finales de abril, elecciones legislativas en Grecia. Queda por saber si el gobierno provisional de Mario Monti en Italia alargará su mandato para efectuar las [...]

Brazil has passed the UK as the world’s sixth largest economy, according to a new study published by the Centre for economics and Business Research (CEBR). The same paper predicts that by 2020, the Germany, Britain and France would retrocede to rank 7, 8 and 9, from the current positions 4, 7 and 5. France, [...]

One of the great underreported stories of the eurozone crisis has been the incredible damage it has done to the reputation of Europe, the EU and indeed the European ideal itself. This has occurred independent of the country in question’s … Continue reading →

Greece is not a bankrupt nation. Image Source: Felix BNI Greece has been at the epicenter of the global economic crisis for all the wrong reasons. Greece has been mired in recession for more than 2 years, while it has been under international support ever since May 2010 (the troika programme). The reasons that brought [...]

PERSPECTIVAS POLÍTICAS El calendario electoral de la región el año 2012 vendrá marcado por tres comicios: 20 de mayo, elecciones presidenciales en la República Dominicana. 1 de julio, elecciones presidenciales en México. 7 de octubre, elecciones presidenciales en Venezuela. Y sobre todas ellas tendrá enorme significación la contienda electoral en Estados Unidos para elegir al [...]

On 13 December 2011 the Council gave its consent to the signing of a new EU-US agreement on Passenger Name Records (PNR). From the Council’s press release we learn that it will replace the existing one, which has been provisionally applied since 2007, and that now it is the European Parliament that has to give [...]

At the turn of the year, the EU shows a sorry image of itself. Greece may be bankrupt economically, but Hungary is certainly the worst failure in democracy since the fall of the Berlin Wall. With its two-third majority in Parliament, the centre-right Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban is passing legislation limiting the [...]

It’s too early to gauge the real impact of David Cameron’s veto at the European Council in the early hours of December 9 and the decision of 26 countries to devise a new treaty, but there have been straws in the wind over recent days which indicate…

 Following this spring’s Arab revolutions, Tunisians and Moroccans have started their own experiments with the democratisation of their societies. In Tunisia, the moderate Ennahda Islamic party has won close to 40 percent of votes in October. Unable to govern on its own, it entered a coalition with a local liberal party and the left-of-centre Ettakatol [...]