Ashton | Stanley's blog

Archives for Ashton

Israel-Palestine: it’s now or never?

March 22, 2010

EU foreign policy supremo, Cathy Ashton, visited Gaza last Thursday During her visit, rockets were fired into Israel, killing a Thai worker. Israel retaliated with air strikes on Gaza. Yesterday, the Quartet, meeting in Moscow, condemned Israel’s recent announcement that 1 600 new housing units for Jews would be built in East Jerusalem. Next Thursday… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

English, Middle East

, Ashton, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, peace settlement, West Bank

Appointment of EU ambassador to the US under fire

February 22, 2010

Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister, wrote on 19 February to foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton complaining about the manner in which way Joao Vale de Almeida was recently appointed ambassador in Washington (see post dated 19 February). Bildt asks how the appointment was made, pending adoption of new rules governing the procedure, but with… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

, Ashton, Barroso, Bildt, EU Ambassador to US, Vale de Almeida

Ashton under attack

February 16, 2010

Further to the post of 25 January, Baroness Ashton is still under attack for not going to Haiti, notwithstanding that the UN had requested that dignataries do not visit the island, so as not to disrupt the emergency aid activities. She stated then that Development & Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, Karel De Gucht, would go when… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

EU Institutions, EU Treaty & Institutions

, Ashton, Haiti, High Representative

Haiti: action before photo-ops

January 25, 2010

Criticism of Catherine Ashton not going to Haiti shows why a Commission not directly answerable to the electorate has its advantages. Most national politicians fly to disaster areas for domestic political reasons. The last thing Haiti wants is herds of VIPs using valuable airport space and requiring attention, but with nothing to offer solely because… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

international

, Ashton, De Gucht, Haiti

Lisbon Treaty : managing expectations

January 23, 2010

The new treaty entered into force on 1 December; Hermann van Rompuy took office on 1 January; Cathleen Ashton, while already High Representative for Foreign & Security Policy, had to face her Europêan Parliament Hearing on 11 January; and the new Commission does not come into being until February. And yet, to read the media,… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

EU, Lisbon Treaty

, Ashton, Copenhagen, Lisbon Treaty, Van Rompuy

An unfair assessment of Ashton

January 21, 2010

The following letter will appear in European Voice on 21 January: Your report of Catherine Ashton’s hearing gave her two stars out of five (“Commissioners’ hearings”, 14-20 January). You found her performance “uninspired and uninspiring” and stated that some members of the European Parliament were “exasperated” at “her evasive replies”. These views seem to echo… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

EU Institutions

, Ashton, European parliament hearings

A Final Delivery

January 18, 2010

Implementation of the Lisbon Treaty will make for more simple and easier communication between European governments By STANLEY CROSSICK Published in the Beijing Review 17 December 2009 After years of debate, disagreements and false starts, the European Union (EU) gave birth to the Lisbon Treaty, at long last, on December 1. First conceived on December… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

Lisbon Treaty

, Ashton, Lisbon Treaty

The new EU appointees: first reactions may be wrong

November 21, 2009

Many reactions to the appointments of Herman van Rompuy as president of the European Council and Catherine Ashton as foreign policy chief have been negative. They deserve a second thought. While the secrecy in which the appointments were made is disappointing, it is understandable that consensus was needed on this occasion; hopefully not next time… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

EU, EU Institutions

, Ashton, European Council President, Foreign Policy High Representative, Lisbon Treaty, Van Rompuy

Archives for Ashton

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