"The demographic time-bomb

The demographic time-bomb

New projections for an ageing Europe

WHO’S up and who’s down in Europe? If it’s population one is counting, Britain will be on top in 50 years’ time, passing both Germany and France to become the biggest country in the European Union, according to projections in a new study.

EU considers sanctions on Russia

EU leaders are considering imposing sanctions on Russia over the crisis in Georgia, the French foreign minister says.

What does Russia have to gain?

By nosemonkey on The Caucasus

With the limiting/cutting off of the wealthy European markets for her products that any isolation / “new Cold War” would imply, her economy will end up even more screwed than it is already, further isolating the government from the people. Yes, cutting off energy supplies to Europe would, in the short term, cause a major global economic crash and untold suffering on a scale not seen for decades which would, in the short term, also help boost energy prices and allow Russia to get rich quick via other markets.

Interview: EU needs ‘strong, credible’ response to Russia

Although the EU must take care not to isolate Russia after its unilateral recognition of Georgia’s two breakaway provinces, European leaders must show Moscow that "there are consequences of this kind of behaviour" at their crisis summit on 1 September, Andrew Stroehlein of the International Crisis Group told EurActiv in an interview.

France fears ‘war’ as Russia recognises Georgian regions

Western leaders reacted angrily after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ignored their pleas and signed a decree recognising the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia – a move condemned by the EU as a breach of international law.

Interview: ‘Political reality hampering Sarkozy’s EU ambitions’

France’s EU Presidency objectives, primary among which is the much-vaunted ‘Union for the Mediterranean’ project, are so ambitious that the government may not have the means to implement them, Olivier Ferrand, the president of Terra Nova, a new progressive think tank, told EurActiv France in an interview.

Russian Citizenship: Moscow’s Tool for Recollecting the Empire’s Lands

Andreas Umland: A justification for Russia’s recent invasion of Georgia was that it had to protect its citizens in South Ossetia. There is, however, a subtle difference between a state’s protection of its citizens living abroad, and its defense of citizens creating their own state within another country

Why I had to recognise Georgia’s breakaway regions

Did Saakashvili believe we would stand idly by as he launched an assault on the sleeping city of Tskhinvali, asks Dmitry Medvedev

Sharing a vision of the ‘New Europe’

FT.com | Brussels Blog | EU population forecasts

MAIN FOCUS: Europe’s reaction | 27/08/2008

The conflict in the Caucasus has intensified with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s acknowledgement of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. How should the EU react to Russia’s latest move?

Lisbon treaty ratification still in the doldrums

By P O Neill on The European Union

With all attention on Georgia it’s easy to forget that the European Union remains mired in the institutional crisis created by the Irish No on the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon. With Irish ministers drifting back from their holidays, the issue will be getting more attention. Today’s Irish Times reports on what the Irish officials trying to deal with the crisis will view as an unwelcome leak: that a delegation visited Denmark to understand the technical details of Denmark’s opt-outs from the Treaty of Maastricht — opt-outs which, ironically, the Danes had hoped to unwind by referendum to be a full player in Lisbon implementation until they got uneasy following the Irish vote.

Heavyweight review

By Edward Lucas

Olli Rehn, the EU enlargement commissioner, has given "The New Cold War" a very decent review in the Helsingin Sanomat. The English version here