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A European own goal
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Expectations were high when the Lisbon Treaty entered into force and Catherine Ashton was appointed head of EU foreign policy. One of the first questions asked at the press conference when Ashton was appointed, was whom the world should call on matte...
Why blame only Athens?
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The Greek economy is talk of the town. Not only in Europe but also on Wall Street in Beijing and the rest of the world. The issues at stake are well known by now. Greece needs to borrow money to finance its deficit and to refinance its debt. When Gre...
Who speaks with one voice?
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The EU-bashing seemed to be endless when the American administration a couple of weeks ago let the Europeans know that president Obama had no intention of coming to an EU-US summit in Madrid planned for May. The Americans let the Europeans understa...
Will Barroso pay?
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The European Parliament Monday set the scene of yet another political drama when it resumed the hearings of candidates for the Barroso II Commission in Strasbourg Monday evening. The focus of attention was on the Slovak commissioner designate, Maros...
In 2010 Europe becomes “chefsache”
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When Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt chaired the latest European Council meeting in Brussels in December, heads of state and government were alone in the meeting room. Foreign ministers were not invited. The decision to let Miliband, Kouchne...
European leadership overlooked
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This week negotiations start in Copenhagen to try to find a global political agreement on how to deal with climate change. The negotiations in the Bella Center on the outskirts of Copenhagen will be complex to a degree that makes everyday negotiation...
The Weakest Link
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Judging from reactions in international media, the appointment of Herman van Rompuy as EU-president and Catherine Ashton as High Representative for external affairs will mean that Europe will not make its mark in any global matter of importance durin...
Barroso´s empty shells
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The commission president, José Manuel Barroso, looks set for another clash with members of the European Parliament over the appointment of the next commission – Barroso II. Last week Mr Barroso voiced his concerns about the difficulty to get heads...
Grybauskaite for President
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The last hurdle has finally been removed and the Lisbon Treaty is set to enter into force by the end of the year. The content of the treaty have been praised by leading politicians all over the Union. They predict that, come the Lisbon treaty come a...
Barroso´s female revolution
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President designate, José Manuel Barroso, sent a letter to all heads of state and government earlier this week. In polite diplomatic words Barroso gave the EU leaders a very clear hint of what he expects when they nominate candidates to the next Com...
Can we afford Blair as President?
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The European Union is about to appoint its very first President of the European Council. Media speculations have former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as favourite to the post. But before Brussels starts preparing for Mr Blairs arrival there are...
French masters of manoeuvring
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When European leaders met in New York and in Pittsburgh last week media focus was on issues that were formally on the agenda, climate change, the financial sector and the prospects for economic recovery. But seen from a European perspective the most...
A breathtaking summit agenda
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This week’s European summit is dominated by a breathtaking agenda. Swedish prime minister and EU president, Fredrik Reinfeldt, sent his colleagues a letter just days before the summit, where he detailed the issues to be discussed. The list was long...
Why Barroso should ignore Schultz & Verhofstadt
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The coming weeks will be filled with stories in the media covering the appointment of José Manuel Barroso as the next Commission president. After the unanimous nomination of Mr Barroso by the European Council in June the approval by a majority of th...
Hard to please
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The European Union is meant to be on vacation. But in the in-tray of agriculture commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, there is no sign of any holiday spirit. Last week she received a letter from eight agriculture ministers all asking the Danish commis...
Leaders from Venus and Mars
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A change of guard will take place on Saturday at the NATO headquarters. Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen takes over as the new Secretary General. The task that comes with the job is not easy. NATO is heavily involved in a conflict i...
The lonely MEPs key decision
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Last week the 736 newly elected MEPs made one of their most important political decisions ever. They had to decide in which committee they will work during the next five years. Media focus has been on the top jobs in parliament but in reality MEPs c...
