Even in advanced economies, women are bearing the brunt of a lack of work-life balance, a panel at the Employment Week event found.

A panel on work-life balance at the Brussels Employment Week event on 6 June 2007 brought together Nitzelius, deputy director at Sweden's Ministry of Employment and two experts working for the UN Development Programme's gender equality project in Poland. ........click to continue

In the mean time,

Sarkozy heading for landslide victory in French parliamentary elections

Gilbert & George, Fates VIA

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Charles Grant in CER blog says:

Most EU governments wanted Nicolas Sarkozy to win the presidential election. They think his liberalising economic agenda stands a fair chance of boosting France’s lacklustre economic performance. And they believe that his support for a ‘mini-treaty’ will make it easier for Chancellor Angela Merkel to get the whole EU behind her plans for an ‘amending treaty’ that would save parts of constitutional treaty. Furthermore, several governments – including that in London – are particularly happy that Sarkozy says he will not hold a referendum on any new EU treaty, since that diminishes the pressure on them to hold referendums of their own. click to continue.

What Turkey’s crisis means for the EU by Katinka Barysch

and more on French elections:

BBC's Your reaction

Kiki on Sarko, Ségo, and me

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 Fareed Zakaria in Newsweek says

...In Turkey the popular ruling party, the AK—despite some background with political Islam—has proved to be the most open, modern and liberal political movement in Turkey's history. That extraordinary achievement may now be in peril because of the overreaction of Turkey's secular (and unelected) establishment.....

Mustafa Akyol in IHT: The real threat is secular fundamentalism

An innovative approach here from a friend:
Gurur Ertem in ON BELIEF:

Some Reflections Triggered by Springdance in the Light of Current Political Debates in Turkey

An older but notable post by Jon Worth: Secularism, the military, the EU and Abdullah Gul via Nosemonkey.

In the mean time,  France's blow to Turkey's hopes (By Patrick Seale) and Turkey uneasy over Sarkozy win, but hopes for pragmatism and an article in TESEV's bulletin: The French Presidential
Elections and Turkey.

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The final count gave Mr Sarkozy 53.06%, compared with 46.94% for socialist Segolene Royal, with turnout at 85%.

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yet I could not post all the posts I saved. everything you wanna know about the French Elections...

French Elections 2007 seems to be the best blog around on the issue. Check out the most recent developments....

France versus the world
Lucy Ash, Presenter, BBC World Service
Many French people say they are anti globalisation, but paradoxically France has launched dozens of world beating brands and grown rich on free trade..........

VIAFrance's presidential election becomes a test of personalities

Christopher Dickey of Newsweek International says

On paper, Nicolas Sarkozy offers France its best hope for change. And that's what the French say they think they want. The elegant socialist Ségolène Royal, his rival for the presidency, would certainly be different: France's first woman head of state, who presents herself more as a listener than a leader.

French elections Q&A

* In French Runoff, a Fight for the Center; Sarkozy, Royal Stress Ideological Differences Despite Proposals That Cross Divide
* A Paradoxical French Electorate; Voters in Presidential Race Demand, and Fear, Change

French presidential elections 2007
Conservative leader Nicolas Sarkozy will face Ségolène Royal, his Socialist opponent, in a run-off scheduled for 6 May. The first round was marked by the defeat of the far-right of Jean-Marie Le Pen and the emergence of the centrist François Bayrou, whose supporters will hold the swing votes for the final round.....

For the bigger The Geography of France’s Presidential Elections map, see here.

Europeans offer advice to the French as election nears France's new president should help solve the constitutional crisis that has clipped the wings of the EU, a new survey shows.

Continue reading "French Elections. An Exhaustive Roundup" »

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Despite predictions of catastrophic breakdown, the 2004 EU enlargement turned out, for many, to be an almost imperceptible 'shock'. But increased EU complexity means lobbying campaings need to be designed even earlier, argues PA firm Burson-Marsteller.

One should also check out Nosemonkey's round ups:

* French Elections- a mini roundup 

*  Euroblog Roundup (2)

in the mean time,  

Mr Bayrou wants to forge a new centrist consensus in France

12 April 2007

BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell plunges into France's political cauldron as the country gears up for a presidential election on 22 April and he considers how campaigning differs from the UK experience.

 * Foreigners prefer Royal, at least in Europe

And in yet other developments:

* Barroso presses for new EU Treaty by 2009 while The British and Dutch prime ministers have said the European Union does not need a "whole new constitution", just limited changes to existing treaties.

Continue reading "The EU's 2004 enlargement and its impact on policies and processes" »

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The 9th of April marked the official start of the electoral campaign for the French presidential elections. This is an opportunity for the European press to take stock of the ballot two weeks away from the first round. VIA

 Her Election diary: 'Tour de France'

***

The Washington Post OVERVIEW:2007 French Presidential Elections

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French rigth-wing party UMP presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy delivers a speech during a campaign meeting in Toulouse, 12 April 2007. Sarkozy came under attack Friday for allegedly cosying up to the far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen in his bid to become France's next president. 

Continue reading " A round up on French Elections..." »

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Continue reading "Big EU states gaining power despite enlargement" »

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 Chris Davies says:

So the EU is 50. It's not a bad age and its future looks secure. Recent concerns about global warming and future energy supplies have reminded governments of their dependence on one another and reinforced the desire to move forward together.As an environmentalist I never have a problem answering the question "what has the EU done for us?....

Segolene Royal's official campaign poster is out, and a bit frightening, at least in comparison with earlier ones says the French Élection 2007 blog.... If that's not an April Fools Day joke, it is really ugly.... In the mean time, Sarkozy goes all the way on immigration.

AFOE: Finnish Parliamentary Election 2007 - Lessons Learnt

Continue reading ""Why we should rejoice after fifty years of the EU" »

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The European Union's -competition commissioner yesterday expressed her "shock" at the protectionist rhetoric of Nicolas Sarkozy, the leading challenger for the French presidency, saying it was in France's interests to promote the European single market and cross-border investment.

Dossier of Friday, March 30, 2007; The French call into question their 'national identity"

Nicolas Sarkozy, the right-wing Presidential candidate has provoked a heated debate in France by proposing the creation of a 'ministry of immigration and national identity'. What is national identity and how can it be defined in relation to European identity currently evolving ?.........

A Cafe Babel piece: "69, French style"

 

Continue reading "Brussels shocked by Sarkozy rhetoric" »

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Ségolène Royal has declared her support for Turkey’s bid to join the European Union, becoming the only main contender in France’s forthcoming presidential election to endorse an enlargement deeply unpopular with voters. Royal's support is also blogged here...

Nosemonkey's inaugural Euroblog roundup on this, the 50th anniversary weekend of the Treaty of Rome....

Europeans richer, older, more child-free writes Simon Briscoe while The EU's future under scrutiny.

The British public loves a euro-furore - a story about changes to our traditional way of doing things, usually dreamt up by "barmy Brussels bureaucrats" or "meddling eurocrats". Here is the link...

Here is FP Blog's take on the euromyths

 

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