Continue reading ""'3 F's top French Presidency's economic agenda" »
Launched officially today, and I’ve yet to work out what it’s all for (bar an ego trip for Sarkozy and a jolly for various heads of state, that is).
Mark Mardell has the handiest overview I’ve found so far - and also doesn’t seem to know quite what to make of it. Wikipedia is, as ever, useful if taken with a pinch of salt - largely thanks to the overview of the controversies and squabbles that have marred its birth.
One thing that is fun, however, is to compare the map of this new international club with that of the Roman Empire at its height…
Continue reading ""The Union for the Mediterranean and a usual round up on EU affairs..." »
Suddenly roused out of complacency, European governments don't want to appear helpless. They are looking for a "technical" solution -- which would result in a repeat of the Irish referendum.
By Ruben Andersson
It’s been a terrible month for migrants. In South Africa, they have been hounded, lynched and necklaced in pogroms that have left more than 50 people dead. In Italy, vigilante attacks on Roma have accompanied the new government’s xenophobic rhetoric and promise to deport even fellow Europeans. In France, Sarkozy has flagged a hardline EU-wide ‘pact on migration’ – including provisions on ‘European values’ – for when his country assumes the Union presidency. And to top it off, the European Parliament is set to vote tomorrow on the ‘return directive’, an initiative deplored by Amnesty that will allow member states to detain migrants for up to 18 months before deportation.
Continue reading ""New directives, same old directions..." »
In the European debate, we always come back to the same topic: democracy. Now that the Irish have rejected the Lisbon Treaty, Europe’s chronic inability to create ‘true’ democracy is once again at the forefront of the debate.
Voters in Ireland reject the EU's Lisbon treaty in a referendum, delivering a severe blow to leaders' plans for reform....
I hope I’m premature writing this - final results in the Irish referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon have not yet been released but all the tallies so far point towards a No vote. That’s also the impression conveyed to me via people in Dublin. Irish Foreign Minister has also basically admitted defeat for the Yes side. So what has to happen?
Continue reading ""French Presidency seeks strong 'Small Business Act'" »
Under the motto "a more protective Europe", France takes over the rotating EU Presidency in the second half of 2008 with a keen eye on energy, climate change, defence and immigration policy.
On 31st May 2008, Social Europe Chief Editor Detlev Albers died after a short but severe illness. We are deeply saddened and shocked by his sudden death.
Continue reading "Med Union and Eastern Partnership are Rivals in the EU-Vision Contest..." »
Visiting Brussels to lobby for the election of his city as European Capital of Culture for 2013, Mayor of Marseille and Vice-President of the French senate Jean-Claude Gaudin praised the EU's initiative, which he says has an enormous and long-standing impact on the cities selected.
Continue reading ""EU praised for 'cultural capital' initiative" »
Since its first broadcast on 24 May 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest has seen hundreds of songs battle it out for the titles of the worst, the funniest and above all the best
Continue reading ""EU: the most peaceful region in the world" »
Continue reading ""Parliament backs calls for EU anti-discrimination law" »
Continue reading ""Commission pushing for 'New Social Agenda'" »
Continue reading ""Security and crossborder care to dominate EU health agenda" »
In the last years, the number of EU member states has almost doubled from 15 to 27 members. This major extension has obviously had economic, political and cultural consequences. How do you think this enlargement was absorbed by the Union? And were there any political consequences?Continue reading ""Social Europe Interview with EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn" »
The use of national security issues as a pretext for protecting companies and markets from EU competition is a source of "increasing concern" in the EU, the Commission declared in an annual report on US trade barriers. In a visit to Tokyo, the EU's trade chief also raised the issue of steep barriers to trade and investment as a key concern in EU-Japan relations.
After its surprisingly strong showing in Italian parliamentary elections last week, the quasi-separatist, anti-immigrant Northern League Party is likely to take over several key posts in Silvio Berlusconi's cabinet including the interior, reforms, and agriculture ministries. The League's control of the Interior Ministry puts Italy's immigration policy is in the hands of a party whose leaders have suggested that the navy fire on rafts carrying illegal immigrants.
Continue reading ""EU concern at 'disguised' US, Japan protectionist agendas" »
Continue reading ""NATO agrees common approach to cyber defence" »
- Fitna (film), a 2008 short film made by Geert Wilders
- Fitna (word), an Arabic word
Fitna (فتنة) is an Arabic word, generally regarded as very difficult to translate but at the same time is considered to be an all-encompassing word referring to schism, secession, upheaval and anarchy at once. It is often used to refer to civil war, disagreement and division within Islam and specifically alludes to a time involving trials of faith, similar to the Tribulation in Christian eschatology. The term originally referred to the refining of metal to remove dross [1], but became common in apocalyptic writings and is often used to refer to the First Islamic civil war, in 656–661 CE, a prolonged struggle for the caliphate after the 656 assassination of the caliph Uthman ibn Affan. The Second Fitna, or Second Islamic civil war, is usually identified as the 683–685 CE conflict among the Umayyads for control of the caliphate. The third one refers to the taifas in the end of the Caliph of Córdoba's rule.
Okay, Geert Wilders’ movie Fitna is finally online. It was posted sometime yesterday and the English version has already been viewed over two million times. As I write this the Dutch version is at 2.5 million views. Talk about word-to-mouth!
First, the good news. Wilders did not do anything really stupid and really irresponsible like tear up or otherwise damage or deface the Koran. In other words, there is no reason whatsoever why someone should want to kill him or anybody else over this*. Besides, it turns out there already has been more than enough ado about nothing.
Demonstrators hold banners during a protest against Dutch politician and anti-Islam filmmaker Geert Wilders on Dam square in Amsterdam, March 22, 2008. REUTERS/Ade Johnson
Erkan's note: The film is probably offensive, but so what? Muslims should be more pro-active instead of reacting every act of anti-Islam. Islamophobia will be there to survive. No need to take these acts too seriously.... But of course, the protest above has a different angle...
Continue reading ""EU to consider Beijing Olympics boycott" »
60 Ideas for Europe- Building together the Europe of the Future
Isabel Aspe-Montoya wrote: "Immigration is currently one of the largest challenges facing European societies. This has been declared the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, and one of its objectives is the promotion of interaction between Europeans and different cultures, languages, ethnic groups and religions on the continent and elsewhere.....Continue reading ""Spring Summit to address economy and climate change" »
Continue reading ""Energy: Europe needs to make up its mind" »
The world's oldest condom is one of the highlights of the exhibition.
found in: Photo Gallery: 100000 Years of Sex - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News
A new exhibition in the Neanderthal Museum in Mettmann explores the fascinating history of "100000 Years of Sex."
It’s probably the most famous quote about European politics - Henry Kissinger’s “Who do I call if I want to call Europe?” From today there’s a new campaign website that might just start to give an answer to that historic question… whodoicall.eu calls for One President of the EU - i.e. the same person to be President of the European Commission, and President of the European Council (the latter a new position setup in the Lisbon Treaty). Why is this a good idea? Well, it gives the EU strong leadership, and allows the President to be democratically accountable. More arguments and debate can be found on the whodoicall.eu site.
Continue reading ""National angle and new media tools key to EU communication" »
A wiki website called Wikileaks that let whistle-blowers post documents anonymously has been shut down by a California court the BBC reports. Wikileaks.org, as it is known, was cut off from the internet following a California court ruling, the site says. Many consumers stayed on the sideline when it comes to purchasing a high definition DVD player. The battle between Toshiba and Sony, HD DVD vs. Blu-ray, is coming to an end.
Unscrew America is a new campaign designed to persuade U.S. households to adopt greener practices on a day-to-day basis, starting with more energy-efficient lightbulbs. A bells-and-whistles interactive website showcases innovative Flash programming and a sensory overload approach. found in: Unscrew America
Continue reading ""California Court Shuts Down Wikileaks Website" »
