Love, not war, at Club Med

"The goal of the summit is to learn how to love each other in the Mediterranean, instead of continuing to hate and wage war," French President Nicolas Sarkozy gushed as he unveiled his new diplomatic toy, the Union for the Mediterranean.

France launches Med Union with high hopes

Leaders from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East launched a 43-nation Union for the Mediterranean Sunday pledging practical cooperation among erstwhile enemies on water,

MAIN FOCUS: The Mediterranean club | 14/07/2008

The Mediterranean Union was baptised on the weekend in Paris. The project, itself the object of much controversy in the EU, brought together more than 40 heads of state and government, including representatives from the Palestinian territories, Israel, Syria and Lebanon. The European press looks at the pros and cons of the new union.

Mediterranean Union: A view from Turkey

By Meliha Benli Altunisik


Turkey's problem with the idea of a Mediterranean union is that it was presented by Nicholas Sarkozy during his election campaign and immediately thereafter as an alternative to Turkey's membership in the European Union. It thereby reflected the new French president's clear and open opposition to Turkey joining the EU."

MAIN FOCUS: The bank crisis is back | 15/07/2008

The international bank crisis is flaring up once again. On the weekend the US financial authorities had to bail out the mortgage banks Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with a 300 billion dollar emergency aid package. What does this new crisis mean for Europe's markets?

The Mediterranean's new union

It may not change the world but if the Union for the Mediterranean rekindles interest in Europe's neighbours and encourages investment, that would be an achievement

EU trade chief warns of multilateral fallout from WTO failure

Speaking a week ahead of a crucial World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting on 21 July, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson urged the 27 EU countries, including France, to "show unity" towards achieving a breakthrough or risk the collapse of other international endeavours such as talks on climate change.

Italian officials found guilty of abusing G8 protestors

The pressing logic of Anglo-French defence

Sarkozy   has  been  accused of surrendering Europe's military leadership to Britain. There could be no more heinous crime, writes Philip Stephens

Parliament wants more visibility for EU external aid

Urged by MEPs to make the external aid action of the EU more visible, External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner conceded that this was her "greatest challenge" and outlined her ideas on how to "show the flag" more in future.

Belgium PM resigns, throwing country into crisis

Four months after forming a government, Prime Minister Yves Leterme has resigned, recognising his failure to reach a compromise over requests from Flanders to transfer more powers to the regions.

EU mourns the passing of a great European

Bronislaw Geremek, an icon of the anti-communist movement in Poland who upturned the post-World War II status quo - ultimately leading to the reunification of Europe - died in a car crash on 13 July. Tributes poured in acknowledging the contribution of Geremek to democracy in Poland and Europe.

Fresh uncertainty looms over Czech treaty ratification

Aversion to the new EU Treaty now also appears to be spreading among Czech citizens, with a poll dated last Friday (11 July) revealing that the majority of the population is against the text, which is already under examination by the country's court in an attempt by eurosceptics to prove that it is unconstitutional. 

The deboulonneurs target large billboards in particular

A group of French protesters who say they are fed up with "invasive" advertising are defacing the country's billboards - and calling the police in advance to ensure they get arrested while doing so.

The "deboulonneurs" - roughly translated as "dismantlers" - have been meeting about once a month and spraying slogans over hoardings in a number of French cities.

Sarkozy: Following in Baker's Footsteps

By Nikolas K. Gvosdev

President Sarkozy unveiled his Union for the Mediterranean on Sunday--and like Secretary of State Baker in Madrid in 1991, Sarkozy got Arabs and Israelis to take part (along with the states of the EU). Syrian president Asad did snub Israeli P.M. Olmert (no handshake, for instance), Libya condemned the process and Morocco's king chose not to attend since the Algerian president was in Paris--but Sarkozy's efforts are quite interesting. Perhaps taking a leaf out of the China-Taiwan process, the focus is less on finding resolution to sticky political issues and instead focusing on whether common environmental and energy projects can inculcate certain habits of cooperation.

A divided Belgium, Belgie or Belgique

By Internation Musing

The Romas Italy Problem

By rz

Around the Euroblogosphere the treatment of the Roma in Italy has become an issue. A Handfull of Euros has a good rundown of the situation, the Turko Files and the European Tribune write about the generally bad treatment of the Roma in Europe, the Yellow Stars Blog strongly condemns the Italian Government and Gravitas Free Zone has a very interesting take. Excerpt:

Time to dissolve Belgium?

The argument for a political divorce

BELGIUM gave the world Magritte, Tintin and frites. Despite these undoubted contributions, there are new questions about its future viability as a state after the prime minister tendered his resignation on Monday evening, sparking a political crisis.

Drawing-up a Balance Sheet for Europe

Pierre Drai: The Irish "no" came as a surprise to many European policymakers. Yet it is their own failure to cater to the needs and desires of their voters and close the gap between policies and reality that caused it. The EU needs to be more transparent domestically and take on greater responsibility internationally if real deadlock is to be avoided in the future.

The Dynamics of European Politics

By Pierre-Antoine Rousseau

Time to time, experts are baffled why the EU countries are seeking different path in developing the EU as a common organization. Recently, French President Sarközy made a controversy over his suggestion to strengthening the Mediterrenean flank of the Union. Those who are baffled are always hoping that the countries of the EU has

Why Belgium?

By nosemonkey on Belgium

Having gone for months without a government, the Belgian crisis looks set to kick off once again. French speakers and Flemish speakers really just don’t seem to get on, and are increasingly objecting to being forced to share the same country. Indeed, as anyone who has ever been to Brussels - which is in the Flemish part of the country - will know, if you try to speak French to a Flemish-speaker, you’re liable to end up with an earful of abuse. To outsiders it can all seem rather confusing - I mean, hell, it’s only Belgium, right? As anyone who’s ever visited the place will know, although the countryside is pretty enough (and the beer and food is aces), there’s really not that much worth fighting over - Belgium has more often than not been used as a staging-post for wars aiming to claim other, more interesting territories. Rarely has it been the prize that has been sought.

Economic outlook clouds Sarkozy success

Nicolas Sarkozy, on a high after his recent European diplomatic successes, was brought to earth on Tuesday after the finance ministry said the French economy would grow at the lower end of its forecast range