Latest posts
2014, 2013, 2012, Go!
The Americans and Europeans are starting to draw down their operations in Afghanistan, after a decade of often intense operations. How might this recalibration of forces be part of a wider geopolitical transformation? How should European respond?
EU Commission expert group database: Open data activism with success
As I have blogged previously, I have requested access to the Register of EU Commission expert groups as a re-usable, machine-readable data set at the beginning of January. On 16 January, the Commission replied that the information was already public...
The year 2012 seen from Eastern Europe
It is year 2012 now and still the most significant questions for Europe remain unanswered. How we, European citizens, are going to deal with so called financial crisis? Will European Union live through economic troubles in each member state and what...
Greece will not exit the Euro – Groundless threats and speculation
Greece will never exit the euro nor will it ever be forced out. Image source: Herald Sun The negotiations between Greece and its private creditors for the restructuring of the sovereign debt are continuing and are expected to be successful wit...
Deterrence: why Brussels needs a fly swat
It is often forgotten that deterrence is the ultimate objective of armed force. But Europeans seem to have forgotten how to deploy it. Why does Brussels need a fly swat? And how should that swat be used?
Waiting six months for one document from the EU Commission
On 30 July 2011, I requested a meeting protocol of the Chefs de Cabinets of the European Commission. On 12 August , the Secretariat General of the EU Commission refused any access, not even to parts of the document. I went into appeal, and on 6 Septe...
Merkel is correct about Eurozone reforms – But which reforms?
The policies of Merkel do not align with her rhetoric. Image Source: Flickr In her speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said among others the following (from euronews): Do we want coherence without ambit...
Drafting EU law: Who cares for TEU and TFEU anyway?
As an academic working on EU affairs you are sometimes forced to read EU law, even if that is not the most beautiful prose you come across in your life. On one of these EU law journeys I had to read the “Proposal for a Regulation of the Europea...
Strategic Snapshot No. 4 published
The Group on Grand Strategy publishes today its fourth ‘Strategic Snapshot’, entitled ‘How to bridge the “three islands”: The future of European military co-operation’. This snapshot delves into the world of European military integration,...
Happy birthday: Bloggingportal.eu turns 3
Update: See the collective anniversary post by 12 Bloggingportal.eu editors! Tomorrow, on 26 January 2012, Bloggingportal.eu celebrates its third birthday. I haven’t been an editor right from the start, but I followed the development of the po...
First thoughts on the ESM: Another European non-solution
On Monday January 23, 2012 the finance ministers of the eurozone member-states, met to discuss issues related to the ongoing crisis of the Euro. The discussion focused on two issues: (1) the negotiations for the restructuring of the Greek sovereign d...
Jacques Santer to sit on the board of the ESM special purpose investment vehicle (SPIV)
I just watched the the Eurogroup press conference with Eurogroup president Juncker, Commissioner Rehn and EFSF chief Regling. I didn’t expect anything substantive – those press conference rarely offer great insights – but than I hea...
Norway’s Europeanisation and the democratic deficit
The Norwegian Government has just published a 900-page long report titled “Outside and Inside - Norway’s agreements with the European Union” (the link leads to the English translation of the 1st chapter). The report summarises the scop...
Yet Again, the EU is a Step Behind
Following the European Council Summit in December of last year, leaders agreed to accelerate entry of the European Stabilization Mechanism (ESM), the permanent successor to the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) to July of this year. Given...
Communicating EU technocracy and science: Is it the same?
Fellow Bloggingportal.eu editor Mathew has just published an excellent piece titled “Of technocrats, journalistic balance and telling EU stories“. His post reflects in a way what I try with this blog, that is to think about whether transl...
Three remarks on the negotiations of the fiscal compact
On the December 9, 2011 European Council summit, the heads of state and government of the 26 out of the 27 EU member-states (except the UK), reached a political decision to sign a new intergovernmental treaty that will reinforce the existing fiscal r...
New European Parliament committee chairs for 2012-14
It’s the mid-term exams in the European Parliament, and not just the person on the president’s chair has changed, but so do a good number of the chairs of the parliamentary committees. Some stay apparently, others change. What the exact r...
‘Britain will never accept German leadership’
Why won’t the United Kingdom accept German leadership of the European Union? What will Britain do to prevent German primacy? What might the implications be? And how can Britain contribute to a stronger Europe?
‘Britain will never accept German leadership’
Why won’t the United Kingdom accept German leadership of the European Union? What will Britain do to prevent German primacy? What might the implications be? And how can Britain contribute to a stronger Europe?
