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Grayling takes Big Picture of the Danish Presidency
The latest BigPictureBrussels from Grayling looks at the political priorities of the Danish Presidency of the EU and the likely impact Denmark will make during its 6 month term. Denmark takes on the Presidency of the European Union at a time of crisi...
Jonathan Wilkinson retires
On 12 December Jonny Wilkinson announced that he is retiring from international test rugby. “Jonny Who?” non-rugby fans may ask. “And why is there sporting news on a blog dedicated to the world of EU affairs?” ask other readers. So, who is Jo...
Does Europe have the Stomach for a new Treaty?
Could another Treaty change be on the cards? European leaders still bearing the scars of the tortuous ratification of the Lisbon Treaty are now having to contemplate the prospect of re-writing the rule-book to accommodate further fiscal integration o...
Support the Grayling Team & spread the word!
As you know the Grayling team are a diverse bunch of people – not only do we come from 15 different countries, we also have various ranges of physical fitness – some of us are fitness fanatics, others like to pick up the bat and ball occasionally...
Grayling Espresso on Polish Presidency
Grayling is proud to present you with the latest edition of Espresso, which this month focuses on the Polish Presidency. Articles include: An introduction by the General Manager of Grayling Poland, Ewa Szejner, on the “inside view” of the Preside...
Pig eats chicken, chicken eats pig?
After contaminated meat and bone meal fed to cows was found to be the cause of mad cow disease, the European Union ten years ago put a total ban on the use of meat meal in feed for animals bred for food production. “I’m no cannibal…...
Hungarian Presidency struggles to make its mark
As the second so-called “new” Member State to take over the EU Presidency after the much-maligned Czechs in the first half of 2009, Hungary was eager to showcase itself and demonstrate its leadership potential. However, due to circumstances both...
When is a net contributor not a net contributor
When the press starts writing about budget negotiations, I always read the word “net contributor” at some point. And every time I read that word I am overocme by surprise and bafflement by the lack of either reflection or hypocrisy with which it...
Now is the spring of our discontent
Spring is traditionally seen as the season of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. Yet in Brussels, despite the unseasonably warm weather, this could be the Spring of discontent. In recent months Portugal has been the third country to effectively request...
Portugal braces itself for fiscal storm
Walking round Porto, Portugal’s second city, over a long weekend, one is struck by how little the country’s near bankrupt economy is affecting daily life on the street. Restaurants on the riverfront overflow with visitors from all four corners of...
Trying to understand the Egyptian Revolution
When you live inside the EU bubble, you sometimes forget that there is a world outside the EU. This is why holidays are great, because they allow you to escape all the ordinary procedures, discover a new country, and get a better understanding of its...
Finland and the difficulty with democacy
Sunday’s election in Finland which saw the True Finns party make substantial gains to become a potential “king-maker” in the country’s new government could well be a sign of things to come throughout the Eurozone. The True Fin...
Portugal is a test the Eurozone cannot afford to fail
The news that Portugal has finally bitten the bullet and requested a bailout will surprise few, but the impact on the Eurozone as a whole – and particularly Spain – remains to be seen. Historians may look back at this moment and consider...
Lobbying and Democracy
Recently, there has been a lot of talk around the corruption charges against MEPs highlighted by the Sunday Times. In this context, some articles published in the press associated lobbying with corruption. Even the Secretary General of a major Europe...
Language wars lead to angst and ennui for UK
As the EU Observer reports, the Commission has poured cold water on an “English-only” entrance exam for the EU institutions for the benefit of our cross-channel chums in Britannia, saying it is “illegal”. After all, up to now...
EU Summitry shennanigans
Optimism…concern…determination. Just another day at the Lobby – and, it would seem, another EU Summit, at least according to Herman Van Rompuy. Some people claim to be suffering from Summit fatigue, particularly ever since De Heer V...
Let’s t-t-talk about The King’s Speech
News that The King’s Speech is leading the Oscars’ field will probably come as no surprise to those that have seen the film – unfortunately, most of “those” reside outside the Brussels bubble, since it won’t appear on Belgian cin...
We’re back and Hungary (sorry) for action!
Greetings and Happy New Year! (Can we still wish people Happy New Year on 19 January? Oh well, who cares!) Apologies for the rather long Lobby hiatus. It’s been a very busy few months, culminating in an exciting office move of 100 metres whic...
Wikileaks’ mistake: total transparency is not total democracy
250,000 secret US embassy cables have been published by Wikileaks and some of the most influential and respected newspapers in Europe and in the US have made the choice of conveying this scoop. What can we learn? So far not a lot: “Teflon Merkel”...
Communicating the revolution
(Taken from this month’s Espresso) As Espresso and its readers are well aware, communication is key, be it when communicating to the press, externally or internally, or in times of crisis. Sometimes a business shies away from communicating, somet...
