Latest posts
Petition: Act on Hungary in the name of Europe
Three prominent scholars have launched a petition, calling on Europeans and Europe’s institutions to oppose a contagious trend born in Orbán’s Hungary toward a return to national egoisms. Jean-Michel De Waele, Political Science Professor at Univ...
Where the heck is Transnistria?
The Danish EU Presidency has a small problem. Its foreign minister Villy Søvndal doesn’t know where is Transnistria, and probably would find it difficult to locate Moldova on a map of Europe. Sixty six Brussels-based journalist witnessed the embar...
The clock is ticking for Sarkozy
The Danes said they will conduct a low-cost presidency. I think they made a very good point. Showing up in times of crisis is bad taste. But I think the Danes had one more message to deliver: they wanted to send a message to Sarkozy, the bling-bling...
2012: Not the end of the world, but big decline for Europe
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 ran...
Democracy in Hungary downgraded to junk
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...
From “annus horribilis” to “annus mirabilis”?
Herman Van Rompuy spoke a few days ago of 2011 as “annus horribilis”, which perhaps one day could be seen as an “annus mirabilis”, year of wonders. We’ve seen many horrors in 2011, like the Japan tsunami and the Norway mass killing. And a c...
The question I couldn’t ask at EU summit
It’s not easy to do your job as a Brussels journalist these days. Herman Van Rompuy’s spokesperson gave the floor to only two colleagues to ask a question at the EU summit final press conference. And he made sure that they would be from...
Would a two-speed Europe open to Turkey?
Whether we like it or not, the EU is becoming a two speed union. Sarkozy says there is “too much integration” among the 27 and too little among the 17 eurozone members. It may look like a forced marriage, but eurozone countries need to bu...
Europe at high risk on 11.11.11
The eurozone breakup is no longer taboo. Germany and France discuss plans for a radical overhaul of the European Union that would involve setting up a smaller eurozone. Italy, a founding country of the EU, is at near breaking point with yields on its...
Greek tragedy is OK, but Italian commedia dell arte sucks
The European Commission today broke a taboo by not rejecting the assumption that Greece may leave not only the eurozone, but also the EU, because current treaties do not provide an exit from the euro. Will Papandreou resign may be interesting in the...
We are the EU’s crash test dummies
EU leaders gather today at 18.00 in Brussels to save Europe and the world one more time this year. At lunch time the Bundestag has passed the EFSF motion with a large majority (good news). But the motion states that the European Central Bank will no...
Quatremer challenges Sarkozy at summit
At the inconclusive twin EU-eurozone summits yesterday, famous journalist Jean Quatremer irked French President Nicolas Sarkozy with a question – the main weapon journalists have as a corrective of power. At the joint press conference Sarkozy g...
Elections in Bulgaria
On 23 October, as EU leaders will meet for what is expected to be a hectic and inconclusive summit, Bulgaria will hold presidential and local elections. There are many candidates for the presidential elections, but according to opinion polls three of...
The Mother of all EU summits
A regular EU summit being postponed is unusual, but nothing is usual these days. Fearing the collapse of the eurozone, EU leaders need to decide on tactics, but also on long term strategy, even on EU treaties’ change. Good luck, Mr. Van Rompuy!
‘Bacteria’ is consuming Schengen
Romania has blocked imports of Dutch flowers and bulbs. Oficially the national phytosanitary agency is checking them on suspicions they may contain a mysterious bacteria… Well, not so mysterious, in fact. Bucharest obviously tries to send a mes...
Was Zhivkov a good leader?
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Bulgaria’s communist leader Todor Zhivkov, who has been on power from 1956 to 10 September 1989. He died in 1998. In his home town of Pravetz, a beautiful place I know well and where I have a summe...
Waiting for the perfect storm
Sittin’ on the dock of the Berlaymont, watching the tide roll in… That’s what a few of us journalists are doing in the August morning sun, if there is such a thing in Brussels. US has for the time being avoided the tornado, but this...
Islamic fundamentalism triggers Christian fundamentalism?
Is Anders Breivik a lone wolf, or is the Norway bloodshed signaling a new terrorist threat? According to his “Manifesto’, Breivik carefully planned each of his steps up to the killings. But more importantly, he also appears to have plans...
Ashes to ashes, Third Energy package?
Gazprom’s South Stream pipeline will most probably get a derogation from the Third Energy Package, the EU’s legislative framework that provides competitors with free access to pipeline networks, Bulgarian Energy Minister Traycho Traykov a...
What kind of Perestroika for EU?
As the euro crisis deepens and may engulf Italy, many would agree that a deep shake up of the EU is needed, if it wants to survive. If unreformed, the EU will face the same fate as the Soviet bloc, argues James K. Galbraith. Communism was once a powe...
