IMF aims for swift deal on Greece
A fateful day for the eurozone – by Gavin Hewitt
Friday will be remembered as the day the euro needed rescuing. Sure it is Greece that has asked to be bailed out but it was still a day that the architects of the single currency had never envisaged. For when it came to it, there were no plans to save a euro member in trouble.
World leaders scramble to negotiate $60 billion rescue plan for Greece
LONDON — European and International Monetary Fund negotiators were racing Friday to hash out a $60 billion rescue package for Greece after its prime minister, who called his country a “sinking ship,” put out an urgent call for help to prevent a national default.
Belgian coalition collapses as Liberals pull out
MAIN FOCUS: Belgian coalition collapses over language dispute | 23/04/2010
The five-party coalition government of Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme has collapsed in the wake of a language dispute between Flemish and Walloons. Commentators question Belgium’s right to exist in view of the groups’ unwillingness to compromise and the renewed government crisis.
EU JHA: Stockholm Programme Action Plan in English, French and German
Earlier we linked to the English version of the Communication, which had been published. We have now been able to locate French and German language versions of the European Union?s Stockholm Programme Action Plan for justice and home affairs (JHA) 2010-2014. Thus, the three working languages of the European Commission are covered, but we still miss the text of COM(2010) 171 final in 20 official EU languages.
Navigating the Social Media Space: What the EU can learn from Eurocontrol
from Julien Frisch
European Federation of Journalists calls upon EU governments to aid journalism
The European Federation of Journalists is mad as hell and they’re not gonna take it anymore. Take what? What they see as favoritism shown by the European Union governments of other cultural ventures, like music, dance, and arts, over journalism.
Muslims in European public spheres and the limits of liberal theories of citizenship
from The Immanent Frame by Jocelyne Cesari
MAIN FOCUS: Greece needs help | 22/04/2010
Negotiations began in Greece on Wednesday over financial aid for the highly indebted country. Commentators say Athens can only avoid state bankruptcy by requesting an emergency loan from the Eurozone and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Does destiny come from geography or history?
Writing in Sunday?s New York Times, Robert Kaplan writes one of those geopolitical big-think pieces capable of launching a thousand blog posts. He argues that Greece?s current predicament, and by extension that of Italy, Portugal, and Spain lies in its position on the Mediterranean and in the type of land in contrast to northwestern Europe which was less conducive to oligarchical land-owning patterns. Religion then formed a crucial overlay on geography ?
IMF upbeat on Greece’s loan talks
Greek talks with IMF ‘going well’
Germany and France get tough with Greece – Crisis : news, world | euronews
from EU-DIGEST
Backlash grows over Greek rescue plan
from FT.com – World, Europe
The Greek Tragedy Continues
The future of the Eurozone is decidedly hanging in the balance at the moment. As I said earlier in the week, the problem isn?t a simple question economics anymore: everything now is all about credibility, about who does what, and when, and how everyone else reacts. As the crisis trundles on and on, news that Greek bond spreads have hit ever higher post European Monetary Union records has become such a regular event that the process now seems almost a monotonous one. However, what happened on what we could now call this week?s Greek ?Black Thursday? certainly marked a new, and more worrying milestone in the ever evolving crisis. The news this morning that Greece has demanded the activation of the EU-IMF loan – news which apparently took even the EU Commission itself by surprise it seems – only adds to the general sense of confusion that abounds.
Has Germany Changed to the Worse?
John Kornblum, a former American ambassador who has lived for nearly four decades around Germany, responds to the many articles that question Germany’s commitment to the European Union:
Common Fishery Policy, Data Blogging & Transparency in the EU Council – updated
by Julien Frisch
Reflections on the EU citizenship consultations
Until 14 June 2010, the European Commission is holding a “Consultation on how to strengthen the rights stemming from Union Citizenship“.
Europe view on Poland. Politics as normal?
Winners and losers
Apr 22nd 2010
From Economist.com
Normal politics, and hard questions, loom in Poland
IN THE churches of Warsaw and other Polish cities, the funerals continue but questions are looming. Why were so many of the country?s top brass on the plane that crashed on April 10th, killing President Lech Kaczynski, his wife and 94 others, including some of the country?s brightest and best military officers? Some of the relatives are, privately, furious. They say that their menfolk were ordered to travel to the Katyn memorial service as a backdrop for the launch of Mr Kaczynski?s re-election campaign.
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