more from the EU agenda…Our neighbor, Greece is having real economic problems, aftermath of Berlusconi attack and more…
Reclaim Power Cop15
Danish police abuse climate-change demonstrators
from Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow
Zoran sez, “Earlier this week (12th Dec), a massive, peaceful protest of 100,000 people — the largest demonstration for climate justice in world history — was met with a heavy-handed response by the Danish police. Thousands of riot police swarmed the march route, blocked off streets surrounding large groups of protestors, and arrested almost 1,000 people. Arrestees were cuffed and forced to sit in rows for hours, as the temperatures dipped below freezing; numerous people urinated on themselves after being denied use of toilets.”
Dispatch from Copenhagen: Demands for Climate Justice
An estimated 100,000 people took to the streets of Copenhagen on Saturday and marched from Christiansborg Slotsplads to Bella Center ? a distance of six kilometers ? demanding climate justice. In one of the strongest messages ever sent to world leaders to be serious and make a ?real deal? in the negotiations going on at United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15), people from different countries marched in the cold winter weather of Copenhagen.
Swiss way no longer a sure route to harmony
EU’s Muslims ‘prefer mixed areas’
‘Civil unrest’ warning as Copenhagen draws to a close
MAIN FOCUS: The final phase in Copenhagen | 16/12/2009
The key phase of the climate conference in Copenhagen has begun. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has called on rich and poor countries to reach an agreement on Tuesday. It is hoped that by Friday 113 heads of state and government will have negotiated an ambitious climate deal. But European commentators see little chance of success.
Race to save climate talks
Escambray: Chaos, Frictions Mark Copenhagen Summit
For the complete report from Escambray click on this linkThe final phase of the UN Summit on Climate Change started with chaos and disorder at the Bella Center entrance, with sessions still characterized by strong North-South disputes. Never-ending lines terribly upset another group of delegates, NGOs, guests and journalists who had to line up for up to three hours out in the open, with temperatures below zero degree. The sort of Gordian knot outside the congress palace obstructed the entry of over 500 people who were trying to legalize their accreditations, as well as others who simply needed to take part in the meeting. The group of African nations today accused developed ones and the COP15 Danish chairmanship of wanting to kill the Kyoto Protocol, thus causing an immediate reaction among green associations in Bella Center.
Greece moves on costs and corruption
Greece to do ‘what it takes’ to regain trust
A Short Political History Of Modern Greece
Greek Governments Since 1963
Europe Needs Action Not Words From The Greek Finance Minister
?Today our biggest deficit is that of credibility.In the last years Greece lost all traces of credibility, which is why international institutions, partners want to see actions.? Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou
The Euro: rewarding bad behaviour
There has been no shortage of stories recently about the troubles looming in Eurozone countries Greece and Spain. These problems have now prompted Angela Merkel to call for direct EU intervention in the economic and social policies of highly indebted countries in the Eurozone, thereby marking a highly significant shift in German policy.
Throwing the rule book at Greece
Berlusconi assault fuels political tensions
After Berlusconi attack, Italy on dangerous road
by Dave Keating
MAIN FOCUS: A blow to the face of Italy | 15/12/2009
The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is in hospital with face wounds after being attacked by a mentally ill man during a rally in Milan. The attack has launched a broad discussion about Italy’s poisoned political climate.
In pictures
Bloody nose
Merkel’s coup: Uwe Corsepius will become the next Secretary General of the EU Council
According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the German Uwe Corsepius will become the next Secretary General of the Council of the European Union.
Corsepius, who was mentioned as a candidate among others, has been confirmed by the heads of state and government at the European Council meeting on Friday, following agreements made on 19 November as Jean Quatremer knows. He will take over from Pierre de Boissieu in 1 1/2 years, as Angela Merkel informed at a press conference after the summit on Friday.
Domain names: internet puts accent on EU languages
Typing ??????.eu (europe.eu in Bulgarian) into an internet search bar is now possible. Special or non Latin characters can be used when using addresses ending with .eu. Many more nationalities will be able to express themselves on the net
Europe’s road to a new Jerusalem
So What?s It All About, Costas?
All the recent critical attention which has been directed towards Greece of late might seem surprising to some (or part of a global anti-PIGS conspiracy, to others) since, on the face of it, the Greek economy had managed over the last decade to appear to be something of a success story. Indeed the economy clock-up a more than respectable growth rate, and the countryeven seemed to be well on the road to economic convergence with its richer neighbours, with GDP growing at and average annual rate of around 4.25% between 2000 and 2007, as compared with a 2% average for the euro area as a whole.
Greece: Riots and Police Brutality Commemorate Teenager’s Death
Riots broke out in Athens and Thessaloniki on December 5-6, during memorial gatherings for a 15-year old named Alexandros Grigoropoulos who was shot dead by police on December 6 last year. Immediately after his death in 2008, Athens was consumed by riots and public protests that lasted for several days.
Photo by apasPower shift: decoding Copenhagen
This post attempts to see beyond the Climate change emotional ?layer? and tries identifying the basic mechanics at stake in Copenhagen talks.
Swedish EU Council presidency: Effective and professional
The Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies (Sieps) has published its customary mid-term review of the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Normally, these reports are written by experts in the presidency country, but this time Sieps engaged a number of experienced European presidency watchers, offering the reader a variety of viewpoints from past and future presidency capitals.
The Spanish EU Presidency
EU tips from the author of ‘Europe for dummies’
Lawmaker: EU held back by ‘trivial’ communications
New EU Guidelines on international humanitarian law
The Council of the European Union explains the meaning of international humanitarian law:
Should Politicians Use Twitter?
Two recent events should be highlighted to any politician thinking of using twitter to further their electoral prospects. These two stories do serve as maybe a warning, before the commit.
Euroblog round-up #2
Heres another round up of issues making the rounds in the eurobloggerosphere at the moment, with thanks to BloggingPortal.eu
Could I talk to the Commissioner, please?!
Citizen-to-institutions communication still looks like a quasi-impossibility at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, and there where it happens you see mixed results – but still results on which basis we can continue working.
Margot Wallström?s blogging testament
Margot Wallström, Commission Vice-President in charge of institutional relations and communication strategy, has written her final (?) blog post (15 December 2009).
The post was suitably headlined Blogging, and Wallström used it to sum up nearly five years as a blogger, as well as the emergence of a European blogosphere featuring individual blogs, multi-contributor blogs and newspaper blogs.
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Vinyl
Bannersthanks for sharing such a valuable
information