Sarkozy announces return to politics French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy returns to politics, announcing on his Facebook page that he will seek the leadership of main centre-right party. Sweden: Immigrants dismayed by far-right gain AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (IN DEPTH) Anti-immigration Sweden Democrats party – with roots in the neo-Nazi movement – recently won 12.9 percent of the vote. … Read more
Scotland votes ‘No’ to independence BBC News | Europe | World Edition Alex Salmond calls for the pledge of more devolved powers to be carried out and David Cameron says the commitments will be honoured in full, as Scotland votes to stay in the UK. Scottish referendum explained for non-Brits – video theguardian.com – Alex Purcell … Read more
I hope Scotland leaves, and I hope England follows them open Democracy News Analysis – by Oliver Huitson Britain is a dying project. A Yes would not only be good for Scotland but good for England; a major blow for popular sovereignty against unresponsive, undemocratic and incompetent rule. Vote Yes for the NHS – independence is … Read more
‘No’ Votes Gain Ground in Scotland’s Referendum: Latest Poll Mashable! by Brian Ries A new poll on Scotland’s referendum shows “No” voters — that is, Scottish voters againstindependence — have retaken the lead with less than one week to go. Thousands on streets for campaigns BBC News | Europe | MAIN FOCUS: Change of government in Sweden | … Read more
New EU sanctions against Russia come into effect EurActiv.com The European Union put into effect on Friday (12 September) a new round of sanctions against Russia over its role in Ukraine, including restrictions on financing for some Russian state-owned companies and asset freezes on leading Russian politicians. What impact could this round of Russian retaliatory sanctions have … Read more
Parties back more Scotland powers BBC News | Europe | The Scottish leaders of the three main pro-Union parties back more powers for Scotland on the day another poll suggests little between the two sides. Scottish referendum – A humble opinion from France Ideas on Europe In February 2005, three months before the French referendum on … Read more
MAIN FOCUS: Uber ignores ban in Germany | 03/09/2014 euro|topics The ridesharing service Uber announced on Tuesday that it will continue operating in Germany despite a nationwide ban. In a lawsuit filed by representatives of the taxi sector, a court prohibited the company from using an app to connect customers with drivers of private vehicles. The right step … Read more
Ukrainian soldiers battling Russian tanks at Lugansk: Army Ukrainian troops on Sept. 1 were battling a Russian tank contingent in the eastern city of Lugansk, Kiev said, accusing Moscow’s army units of moving into large cities in the region What further sanctions is the EU considering against Russia? Open Europe blog Given the recent escalation in … Read more
Handelsblatt: France is the new sick man of Europe by Open Europe The Juncker Presidencies & EU budget stability Ideas on Europe by Ronny Patz I’m just doing some research on budgetary rules in the Eurozone, pre- and post-crisis, and stumbled over some interesting EU trivia: Reading the original Council Regulation (Regulation 1466/97) on the … Read more
Russian convoy stokes Ukraine fears FT.com – World, Europe A convoy of 280 lorries said to be carrying aid and Russian troops could provoke conflict as it heads towards the Ukrainian border A country called Europe? Ideas on Europe by Jon Danzig The maps below look at Europe in a different way to usual cartography – they … Read more
Soccer Lessons for Europe’s Economy Project Syndicate by Harold James Though a solution to the euro crisis continues to elude European leaders, the foundations of one are not difficult to discern. In fact, Europe’s recent soccer experience – in the EURO 2012 tournament and this year’s World Cup – provides insight into how to revive Europe’s economy … Read more
Britain is no longer a world power open Democracy News Analysis – by Ben Waite Britain faces a turning point in its foreign policy; it is no longer capable of delivering the ‘interventions’ its leaders crave, while its much vaunted ‘soft power’ seems so soft as to barely make an impact at all. A change of mindset … Read more
Myths and Misreporting About Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Slate Articles by Martin Enserink A consultative Council of Citizens: for a new policy of participation in Europe open Democracy News Analysis – by Patrizia Nanz and Raphaël Kies People are no longer content simply to take part in elections and to delegate all their power to political representatives. If … Read more
Europe safety agency urges airlines to avoid Tel Aviv EurActiv.com Europe’s aviation regulator on Tuesday (22 July) warned airlines not to fly to Tel Aviv, joining action by US authorities as conflict continued on the Gaza Strip The remains of MH17 open Democracy News Analysis – by Ian Bateson MAIN FOCUS: EU considers new sanctions against Russia | 23/07/2014 … Read more
Change vs more of the same (40 reasons to support Scottish independence, 39) open Democracy News Analysis – by Adam Ramsay Independence offers a rare chance to change a British system built before anything to protect itself. MAIN FOCUS: Netherlands partly to blame for Srebrenica | 17/07/2014 The Dutch state bears partial responsibility … Read more