100 posts
Euro-separatism III: Catalonia’s bid for independence
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With unemployment hitting 25% of the active population and austerity for the foreseeable future, more and more people are leaving Spain. Now, an entire region wants to leave the country. After Belgium and Scotland, this third post on Euro-separatism...
Visa facilitations for the benefit of tourists
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Today's pressconference Photo: EbS To facilitate travelling for tourists willing to visit Europe, and to spend their time and money, is crucial for our economy, and this is particularly important in a time of crisis, like the one that we are expe...
Mas Power for Catalonia
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Artur Mas, the president of Catalonia, tells Brussels of his plans for the Spanish region to become its own state within the EU.
LIVE @13h00: Debate with the President of the Government of Catalonia
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Today at 13h00 Brussels time (GMT +1), Debating Europe will be liveblogging Friends of Europe’s Policy Spotlight discussion with Artur Mas, President of the Government of Catalonia. Mas, who assumed office in 2010, is the leader of Democratic...
4 points for better spending and effectiveness for Cohesion Policy to deliver growth and jobs
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At the Informal Council in Nicosia, on 6 November, Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn presented 4 points for better spending and effectiveness for Cohesion Policy to deliver growth and jobs:Endorse the ‘better spending agenda’: (i.e..
Can open data improve the effectiveness of EU funding?
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Roncoferraro, a small town in the northern Italian region of Lombardia, has switched to 100% renewable sources for its muncipal energy needs. A mix of different technologies, including solar power and a high-tech heating network running on locally-...
Spain: Catalan Unionist Party Launches Controversial Viral Video
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One of Catalonia's minority unionist parties, Ciutadans, made a splash on the Web with a viral video citing a controversial essay written by former nationalist president Jordi Pujol, containing derogatory statements against Andalusians.
Europe’s Regional Revolts
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Article by Ana Palacio, published on Project-Syndicate.org, on November 5, 2012 In both Catalonia and Scotland, calls for independence are growing once again – an indication of conditions not only in Spain and the United Kingdom, but in the Europea...
"Changing the Political Clocks in Spain" by Hadleigh Roberts
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If you can’t move elections to suit events, you have to move events to suit elections. Such has been the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy’s, approach to the regional elections in Galicia and the Basque country. It was no surprise that Rajoy
Seeing small in the age of European federalism
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Europe has been these last couple years at the forefront of world media. First, the Eurocrisis and its domestic impacts have been over studied and analyzed. Second, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize to the EU creating a...
Gorgeous Greek Gorges
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In Greece there are many exceptionally beautiful gorges scattered throughout various parts of the country, both on the mainland as ... Continue reading...
Sustainable cities must look beyond city limits
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"City leaders aspiring to transform their cities into models of sustainability must look beyond city limits and include in their calculation the global flow of goods and materials into their realm, argue researchers in the Royal Swedish Academy o...
The seat of the EP is not in Brussels, so what?
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The recurring debate about the seat of the European Parliament made once again the headlines when MEPs voted to ask for the right to decide where they should meet and have their seat, favouring the idea of a single seat … Continue reading ͛...
Changing the political clocks in Spain
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If you can’t move elections to suit events, you have to move events to suit elections. Such...
Basque Story in Bilbao an Inspiration to Native Americans
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Fall 2012 American Marshall Memorial Fellow Ernest House writes that the Basque peoples' struggle for recognition of their cultural autonomy is an inspiration to his own Ute Native American nation.
The forthcoming referendum in Scotland
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David Cameron and Alex Salmond agreed earlier this month the terms for the referendum on Scottish independence to be held in the autumn of 2014. Federal Union has been asked what it thinks. It would be outside the scope of this website to take view...
Greece expresses regret over assaulted Korean tourist in Athens
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SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) The Greek government has expressed regrets over a Korean tourist who was allegedly assaulted by police ... Continue reading...
Informal Ministerial Meeting on the future Cohesion Policy on 6 November
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On 6 November 2012 the EU Ministers for Cohesion Policy will meet in Nicosia (Cyprus) to discuss elements of the future policy. The meeting takes place at a crucial time in the negotiations on the 2014-2020 budget, as well as in the negotiations on t...
Glasgow's famine memorial stands for so much | Kevin McKenna
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The tribute to the Irish tragedy also stands for what we owe to immigrantsMy vision of what Scotland ought to look like, independent or not, does not make any outrageous demands. Well, perhaps just this: that one day we will be represented at an inte...
The Scottish Play
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By Charles King Edinburgh’s Quest for Independence and the Future of Separatism. READ MORE...
Will Scotland break away from the Union with England in 2014?
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It has been a long-standing feat in the UK to hear parliamentarians talk about a Scottish independence. For decades Scotland was considered too poor to attempt to break out of the Union with England but due to resource richness and an SNP landslide w...
Separatism and European Federalism: Two compatible tendencies
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The red version of the Catalan flag. Picture credit: Wikipedia One of the most fascinating aspects of the separatist movements across Europe, is how they relate to the overall trend of European integration in general and the ideology of European fed...
Euro-Separatism II: Scotland the Brave?
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Haggis, kilts and bagpipes. Scotland, much like Belgium, fills our collective imagination with clichés although modern Scottish nationalism emphasizes its progressive and pluralistic values. With a referendum on independence scheduled for Fall 2014,...
Will the euro crisis lead to the break-up of EU member-states?
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Last month over a million Catalonians marched for independence in Barcelona. Opinion polls say that support in the province for separation from Spain has doubled since the economic crisis started – and some polls put it at over 50 per cent. The Eco...
Absorption rates in Greece- 38,35% in August 2012
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Tags: Absorption ratesGreeceAttachment: Kopie von Greece absorbtion rates august2012 (2).pdfCountries_2: GreeceTopics_2: Absorption Rates...
EU – Belgium: same destiny, same fight?
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In April 2010, Eric Zemmour, French journalist, summed up the Belgium’s political situation – dominated by the Centre-right Yves Leterme government’s resignation – by this statement: “if Belgium collapses, Europe might collapse too”. Two...
One of Rome’s best kept secrets: Ostia Lido off-season
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Fall days don’t come much more beautiful than the one we had in Rome yesterday. A gently warm temperature and perfect sunshine created irresistible weather for spending time outdoors. We headed off for a waterfront lunch and a leisurely meander...
Commissioner Hahn encourages the set-up of regional management structures in Greece (2014-2020)
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In the speech delivered to the Governors of the Greek Regions, Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn discussed the opportunity of setting-up regional management bodies for the future programming period.' It is worth considering using the ne...
Regional participation in the EU’s decision making process has increased significantly. But we are still far from a ‘Europe of the Regions’.
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In its early days, the European Union had a tendency towards ‘regional blindness’, with there being little representation for sub-state entities at EU-level. Nikos Skoutaris finds that with the growth of regionalization, federalization and devolu...
It’s Time to Rewrite the Story of Detroit’s Decline
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Detroit's decline is old news, argues Marshall Memorial Fellow Akira Kirton- and it's time to rewrite the story.
Europe and its Independence Movements
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The paradox of European unification is that it is making it possible for the peaceful fragmentation of national states.
Council takes further steps towards Cohesion Policy 2014-2020
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Member States have agreed on 7 thematic elements of the future Cohesion Policy, namely: 1) technical assistance, information and communication 2) territorial cooperation 3) territorial development 4) country-specific recommendations 5) management a...
Belgium: Beginning of the end?
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Read few comments by Bernard Fournier, Researcher, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Guest Lecturer, Haute école de la province de Liège Personally, I don’t think it is not the beginning of the end of Belgium, frankly. However, if the Francophones...
The Catalonian problem
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By Maria Dolores Amoros The problem with Catalonia is not its desire for independence, but that the Catalan public has fallen into the trap of Convergence and Union, or Convergència i Unió (CiU), headed by Artur Mas, the Senyoret. Mr. Mas has shown...
European regionalisation: do two negatives make a positive?
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As we've argued before, there's a lesson for the eurozone to learn from the all the semi or full-blown separatist movements across Europe; trying to impose central control on an inherently regionalised structure is extremely difficult and a...
Ball in UK’s court on independent Scotland EU membership position
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AN INDEPENDENT Scotland’s membership of the EU cannot be firmed up until the UK Government makes a move, the European Commission has confirmed. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and UK Prime Minister David Cameron have signed the Edinburgh Agree...
EU Cohesion spending: policy can deliver what economic research cannot
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Authors: Benedicta MarzinottoThe EU uses about one third of the EU Budget for cohesion policy. Those that are now fighting for a smaller EU Budget are also questioning the importance of Structural and Cohesion Funds and the extent to which they are t...
"Catalonia and the Trilemma" by David Lizoain
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According to Dani Rodrik’s political trilemma, “We cannot have globalization, democracy, and national sovereignty simultaneously. We must choose two among the three.” A massive demonstration was held a few weeks ago in Barcelona in unwitting de...
Spain and the Scotland Question
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The article below appeared in the Gibraltar daily newspaper Panorama on Friday 5 October. THE SCOTLAND QUESTION...
Calls for independence in Catalonia are part of an evolution of Spain’s democracy that the country’s constitution may have to come to accommodate.
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Elections are due to be held in Catalonia in November, with President Artur Mas also promising to hold a referendum on Catalan self-determination. Montserrat Guibernau assesses the prospects for the referendum, noting that the Spanish constitution cu...
Should Catalonia be independent?
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Back in May, we asked you whether Scotland should be independent, and put some of your comments to Scottish National Party MEP Alyn Smith for his reaction (we also picked up on this topic more recently, when we looked at how …...
Scotland leader Alex Salmond’s dream: The death of modern Britain
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By Henry Chu One of Britain’s savviest politicians, who visited the U.S. , hypothesizes on success...
Nationalism and individual sovereignty in the case of Catalonia
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"Catalonia is not Spain". Picture credit: Wikipedia The heated discussions on the possible secession of Catalonia from the Spanish state (officially the Kingdom of Spain) provide an ideal opportunity to elaborate on some of the cardinal themes of po...
Regionalism on the Rise
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Steven Erlanger has a nice piece in The Times about the rise of regional separatist sentiment across Europe. The paradox, as he points out, is that the European Union, which is supposed to create greater solidarity among the nations of the continent,...
Will Catalonia Become Independent Soon?
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My answer to the question is no. Eventually I think it will, but not soon. Here’s why: Catalonia, Portugal and Spain: Selective Historiography Independentist claims from Catalonia are centuries old, although with differing levels of int...
New Caledonia: Political Tension Grows Over Rights to Nickel Mines
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Claudine WERY writes [fr] that political tension grows between independentist and non-indenpendentist political parties in New Caledonia over the exploitation of Nickel mines. Non-independentists accuse the other party to strike deals with China and...
The shape of modern Spain is being questioned | Giles Tremlett
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Violence in Madrid captured headlines but the post-Franco democratic settlement was crumbling in CataloniaAs work crews on Wednesday cleared the debris left behind by violent clashes between police and protesters outside las Cortes, the parliament bu...
Reducing Catalonia’s autonomy as a reaction to the fiscal crisis would only provide more fuel for secession-minded nationalists
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The European Union is not the only multinational polity whose unity is threatened by the Eurozone crisis. Austerity policies of successive Spanish governments, combined with the perceived lack of fiscal autonomy, are adding fuel to the separatist mov...
Catalonia Is Not Scotland
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Artur Mas, Catalonia's powerful leader, announced Tuesday that he will call a snap regional election Nov. 25. This has raised questions over whether the Spanish region may want to secede from Spain. David Roman reports.
Basque nationalists are taking inspiration from Scotland and Northern Ireland by using politics as a vehicle for independence.
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In the run up to next month’s elections to the Basque Parliament, Julen Zabalo writes that the parties of the Basque Nationalist Left have fully embraced social and political strategies as an alternative to ETA’s armed activities. In this respect...
