I am watching the discussion on Turkey’s opposition against Mr. Rasmussen’s candidacy to head NATO in NTV news channel. It seems that even the former diplomats whom PM Erdoğan does not like, are supporting Turkey’s opposition…
It looks like major EU powers were not too diplomatic; they nominated Mr. Rasmussen without getting consent of Turkey. Turkey may not be a major power in EU but a major contributor in NATO. She probably contributed for NATO more than Germany and France did together. Here in Turkey, a consensus emerges: Franco-German alliance is an ill-intentioned move to isolate Turkey and weakend the already weakend TR-EU relations.Turkey accuses Mr. Rasmussen not being able to handle Danish Cartoon crisis but also ROJ TV’s position. ROJ TV is a TV channel organically linked with PKK and the channels still broadcasts from Denmark. Turks are probably angrier because of that and Cartoon crisis comes only as a second issue…
With the support of domestic consensus, PM Erdoğan may not give in. Today will be an exciting day for the news junkies:)
Turkey blocks Denmark’s Nato hopes
Turkey has blocked Europe’s candidate to head Nato, souring a summit marking the military alliance’s 60th anniversary and opening a new rift between Ankara
Remixes of the paranoid London police "anti-terror"/suspect your neighbours posters
Coalition builder
Facebook-friendly Danish PM looks set for top Nato job
Four points and a question for eurosceptics who believe in the advancing EU superstate
This little debate seems to be running on and on – and it’s a fun one, so let’s keep at it. Some very good discussion is still raging away in the comments to my Jean Monnet and EU superstate posts, and Ken’s come back with a new post at EU Realist, at which I’ve just left the following.
(Other eurosceptic types who see the EU as heading towards a superstate: I’d be genuinely intrigued to hear your take to my sincere question – in bold – in the final paragraph. I just don’t get it, and truly want to understand your reasoning on this one – it’s just about the only eurosceptic anti-EU argument that I’ve never understood, even when I was a eurosceptic myself…)
Unreformed European school system ‘might collapse’
The European school system "might soon collapse" if not reformed, European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas told a public hearing in Brussels last week (19 March), citing "alarming signs" like lack of teachers, cumbersome decision-making procedures and governments’ unwillingness to invest in infrastructure.
Prague’s presidency
The Czech government’s collapse severely damages the country’s presidency of the European Union. It is a vivid demonstration of the need for a semi-permanent EU president, as envisaged by the Lisbon treaty
Analyst: Czech president is under Russian influence
Many people in the Czech Republic consider their Eurosceptic president Václav Klaus to be influenced by Moscow, Lukas Pachta, a political analyst at Europeum, an EU policy think-tank in Prague, told EurActiv in an interview.
Why Europe is Fiscally Conservative
Numerous US politicians, pundits and bloggers complain that Europe (especially Germany) is once again free riding on the United States. This time we are accused of refusing to carry our share of the global economic burden by failing to increase the stimulus to a gazillion euro. We are supposed to throw in the kitchen sink as the Fed did and follow yet another one of Washington’s "shock and awe" strategies since the one in Iraq was so successful.
An Opponent to Barosso Would Reduce EU’s Democratic Deficit
Marek Kubista: The European elections are fast approaching, yet there is little suspense in the air. Perhaps that’s because the outcome is pre-determined: the PPE will win and Jose Manuel Durao Barroso will be reappointed. In April, the left will be given a final chance to decide on a candidate and strengthen European democracy
Business leaders want ‘European Skills Pact’
A key report launched yesterday (26 March) at the European Business Summit urges governments to pay to train workers who would otherwise be laid off, in an effort to address the yawning skills gap that is opening up across Europe.
MAIN FOCUS: New centre-right party in Italy | 27/03/2009
Italy is to have a new centre-right party. Gianfranco Fini’s post-fascist Alleanza Nationale, dissolved last Sunday, and the conservative Forza Italia of Premier Silvio Berlusconi plan to merge at the weekend under the name "People of Freedom".
MAIN FOCUS: Crisis of democracy in Europe | 24/03/2009
Following the announcement of Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány‘s resignation and the vote of no confidence against Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek the European press fears Europe’s democracy could be facing a crisis.
Collapse of Czech government shows weakness in EU
The latest news from the Czech Republic, famously that faraway country of which we know little, is that its government has collapsed. In a vote in the Czech parliament yesterday, the government of prime minister Mirek Topolánek lost a confidence vote by one vote. Experts expect negotiations to form a new coalition to follow, with elections also on the
horizon.
MAIN FOCUS: After the government collapse in Prague | 26/03/2009
After the no confidence vote against the government of Mirek Topolánek in Prague the European press voices concern for the future of the EU, which is currently led by the Czech Republic. The crisis shows how national conflicts can unsettle the entire community of states.
MAIN FOCUS: The EU without leadership | 25/03/2009
The parliament in Prague has toppled the Czech government with a vote of no confidence. According to the country’s constitution Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek must now resign. The European press fears that developments in the Czech Republic, which now holds the EU Council presidency, will weaken Brussels as well.
American fiction still ‘dominates’ European TV screens
American fiction still "overwhelmingly dominates" European television screens, but the European productions are increasing their market share, found a new study published earlier this week.
Why EU superstate conspiracy theories are nonsense
My jokey post on the “danger” of EU founding father Jean Monnet prompted a response from the usually well-intentioned and often thought-provoking eurosceptic Ken of EU Realist (on whom I don’t mean to pick, but he’s provided me with most of the standard anti-EU lines in one handy package).
We’ve started having at it in the comments there, where he has again restated the classic anti-EU conspiracy theory:
What if the eurozone broke up?
by Tomas Valasek
The future of the euro may not be secure, warned the CER’s Simon Tilford in a January 2009 essay. The current economic crisis threatens to exacerbate the tensions within the eurozone, and an insolvent member-state… could default and leave the eurozone. Since January, the economic crisis has deepened further, and the eurozone’s weakest economies have come under even greater strain. This does not make their exit from the eurozone inevitable there is a strong argument in favour of keeping the eurozone together at any cost. But what if it did happen? What would leaving the eurozone mean in practice? What happens to the physical currency in circulation in the afflicted country?
The G20’s missing voice , Sue Branford
It’s hard to feel enthusiasm about the prospects for the G20 meeting to be held in London on 2 April 2009, even before the world leaders make their further contribution to global warming by flying into Heathrow airport. That is in part because the summit’s three official goals – to "stabilise financial markets", "reform and strengthen the global financial and economic system", and "put the global economy on track for sustainable growth" – seem so wearyingly familiar. The very blandness and predictability of the words seem to declare the absence of any new vision.Sue Branford is co-editor of Seeding and manages the publications of the agricultural-diversity NGO, Grain (though she writes here in her personal capacity).
EU ready to screw up European Internet with Telcoms Package
Glyn sez, "The EU’s Telecoms Package is back for its second reading. The French are attempting to push through their ‘three strikes and you’re out’ approach again, the UK are attempting to get rid of net neutrality and get rid of peoples right to privacy. The ITRE/IMCO committee are meeting on the 31 March 2009 to dicuss these and other alarming amendments. The Open Rights Group have more details:"
It is nice to see that Anders Fogh-Rasmussen can actually be a reason for people to unite over something.
Am I the only one who thinks the term cartoon crisis is hilarious?
It leads me to imagine all sorts of “crisis levels”.
1 is political crisis
2 is diplomatic crisis
3 is food crisis
4 is musical crisis
5 is cartoon crisis