"Nervous 2008 for Balkans
Nervous 2008 for Balkans
Could 2008 be the year when the threat of conflict evaporates from the historically troubled Balkans, writes the BBC's Nick Thorpe.French cafes set to ban smoking
France is extending a smoking ban to bars, cafes and restaurants - but after New Year parties.
Romanian children dance covered in a bear furs during New Year rituals in Comanesti, 300 kilometers north of Bucharest, Romania, Sunday Dec. 30 2007. In pre-Christian rural traditions, dancers wearing colored costumes or animal furs, toured from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil. With the average income in Romania, which joined the European Union in 2007, at around 200 euros ($US 295) a month and much lower in rural areas, the tradition has moved to Romania's cities where dancers travel to perform the ritual for money.
(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)Analysis: Europe's security record in 2007 UPI) -- Looking back over the European Union's record as security actor in 2007, two things stand out. The year will be remembered for the Lisbon Treaty, which, once ratified by the 27 member states, holds the promise of making the EU more activist and outward-looking.
The consequences of inflexibility By DIMITRI K. SIMES Kosovo's independence could become a dangerous precedent for unrecognized states.
Employment and Education Policy for Young People in the EU: What Can New Member States Learn from Old Member States?
Source: Institute for the Study of Labor
Training the Unemployed in France
Bosnian Institute: EU proposal lays out steps on Kosovo independence - by Dan Bilefsky and Stephen Castle
For the complete report from the Bosnian Institute click on this linkEU proposal lays out steps on Kosovo independence - by Dan Bilefsky and Stephen Castle
Kosovo will declare its independence in the first two months of 2008 and will be recognized by Britain, France, Italy and Germany within 48 hours, under a plan to be proposed by Slovenia after it assumes the presidency of the European Union in January, senior EU officials said Wednesday.Businessweek (US): The Top European Business Stories of 2007 - by Andy Reinhardt
For the complete report from BusinessWeek(US) click on this linkThe Top European Business Stories of 2007 - by Andy Reinhardt
From the launches of the Airbus A380 superjumbo jet and the Apple (AAPL) iPhone to the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis and its financial aftershocks, 2007 was an eventful year for business in Europe....
France returns to EU centre stage
France's six-month EU presidency does not begin until July 1. But already the bloc's other 26 member states are anticipating France's occupation of the hot seat with uncommon excitementKosovo to test Slovenia leaders
The small ex-Yugoslav state of Slovenia faces a big Balkan challenge in its six-month EU presidency.Reflections On The Devolution In France
[Originally published in Turkish Daily News] Chou En-Lai, the late prime minister of communist China, was once asked what he thought about the French Revolution. He declined to comment, and explained, “It's too early to tell.” That was in the early 1960s. Perhaps today it is a little bit less early to comment on whether the French Revolution really was a good idea. That seminal event – which inspired not just the French but also many other revolutionaries in many countries all around the world, including Turkey – has borne some notable fruits by which we might judge their political roots. The Next Sick Man of Europe? To be blunt, today France is on a slippery slope toward becoming the next sick man of Europe.Employment and Education Policy for Young People in the EU: What Can New Member States Learn from Old Member States?
Source: Institute for the Study of Labor
2008 in Britain: a land of dour unity and economic uncertainty?
In today’s Observer, Andrew Rawnsley offers Gordon Brown these words of advice: “It would be an added bonus if he and his ministers could articulate a sense of purpose and an air of dynamism.” Spot on, as far as I’m concerned. Problem is that Rawnsley’s lines were printed on the same day as Gordon Brown released his New Year message - a rather dour and sinister list of all the challenges that Britain needs to overcome in 2008.
