List of women-friendly mosques in England
An inter-faith organization just released a list of the top 100 women-friendly mosques in England. The criteria included things like separate prayer room, daycare services, women in decision-making positions, and women-specific activities. From Faith Matters’ web site:
Surge for Dutch anti-Islam party
Dutch Parliamentary Elections Updates
First impressions.
PVV (Geert Wilders? Party) is the big winner. JP Balkenende is now definitely out. His CDA took a fair beating. As did the Socialist Party. D66 (from 3 to 10) makes a nice comeback, GreenLeft could be a factor of some importance when it?s time to form a government coalition (possibly purple). Turn-out is estimated at 74%.
MAIN FOCUS: In search of stable government | 10/06/2010
The conservative-liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) has narrowly won the Dutch parliamentary elections with 31 of 150 seats, followed by the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA) with 30 and Geert Wilders’ right-wing populist Party for Freedom (PPV) with 24. Commentators doubt that VVD leader Mark Rutte will be able to form a more stable government than his Christian Democratic predecessor Jan Peter Balkenende.
Dutch poll: Liberals lead, anti-Islam party make huge gains
Liberals won a narrow one-seat lead in the Dutch election, putting them in pole position to form a coalition that must tackle a ballooning budget deficit, preliminary results showed this morning (10 June).
Dutch national elections: What they mean for Europe
Tonight, I look (on TV) at the results of the elections for a new Dutch Parliament. I live in Brussels, since 20 years. But, of course, I am still engaged with my country. I voted, as a Dutch national, for a candidate of the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA). I voted for Mr. Timmermans, long-time Minister […]
Wilders, a Dutch lawmaker on mission to stop ‘Islamization’
Far-right election breakthrough shocks Netherlands
the future’s bright, the future’s orange?
The winning party in the Dutch elections, the VVD, has some interesting things to say about the EU on its website. Its leader, Mark Rutte (pictured right) is favourite to become the country’s new PM and may prove to be an interesting ally for EU reformers, depending on how much the VVD’s rhetoric is watered down by coalition arrangements.
IMF leading EU?
We have reported on agreements by the Euro Group and the Van Rompuy task force on economic governance yesterday, but it somehow seems that the real EU economic policy news came from the International Monetary Fund (IMF): Concluding Statement of the IMF Mission on Euro Area Policies (7 June 2010).
Having involved massive and conditional intervention promises from the IMF, the EU (eurozone) member states have reason put in a new gear with regard to reform at both EU and national level.
Silvio Berlusconi: culture bites politics, Geoff Andrews
It has been clear for a long time that Silvio Berlusconi is a leader very far from the classic professional politician of the western liberal-democratic mould. Rather, Italy?s premier is a postmodern populist who employs a highly personalised style of leadership in which television plays a central part. His rule during three periods in office (1994-95, 2001-06, 2008-) has been a celebration of image and power fuelled by a constant appeal to the gut instincts of the people. His wealth is at once the source of his route to power, a measure of his invincibility, and a constant reminder to Italians of his entrepreneurial success and ability to get things done.
Adopting EU broad economic policy guidelines (BEPGs)
According to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the EU member states regard their economic policies as a matter of common concern and they coordinate these policies in the Council (Article 121(1) TFEU).
Top researchers fear ‘radical shift’ in EU policy
Scientists at Europe’s leading research universities have expressed concern over the growing trend towards linking EU funding with pre-defined outcomes. Researchers fear political priorities will curb their scope for creativity and free thinking.
MAIN FOCUS: EU budget control not enough | 09/06/2010
The EU finance ministers want to better coordinate their national budgets in future. Each spring the EU is to review whether national budget plans correspond to EU economic policy. The European press welcomes the decision but fears it won’t be enough to fight the crisis.
EU aim: Quality and sustainability of public finances
Despite the Brussels jargon, the ten ?Europe 2020 integrated guidelines? should make Europeans sit up and take notice. These policy aims concern the bread and butter issues for this decade. Success or failure decides our jobs, pensions, living standards and quality of public services; in short: prosperity.
On 17 June 2010 at the European Council meeting, the heads of state or government are going to add their remarks to the proposed objectives ahead of final adoption.
EMU: Implementing the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP)
The Specifications on the implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact and Guidelines on the format and content of Stability and Convergence Programmes, the so called Code of Conduct (21 pages), were endorsed by the Ecofin Council 10 November 2009, before the Lisbon Treaty entered into force. The references to the old treaty provisions (TEC) will surely be substituted by references to the TFEU in the following update of the Code of Conduct.
Should Bloggers get Accreditation to EU Institutions?
M van den Broeke on Twitter asked this question,
Should serious EU bloggers get some sort of accreditation to EU institutions? But on what criteria?
Firstly I say fair play to her for bringing up the question. Its one that should be asked more, and not just by the EU. I must say Irish political parties have been good at facilitating bloggers, so maybe other institutions should start soon?
Europe?s Keynesian Turn?
The Euro-crisis is transforming the continent radically. One of the consequences of the decisions taken by the European Council on May 9 could be the end of the conservative ordo-liberal German model of social market economy. The European Central Bank may become the best ally of Europe?s left.