October 20, 2008
President Bush, Nicolas Sarkozy (current EU President) and EU Commission President Manuel Barroso, met at Camp David on 18 October to discuss the continued coordination of steps needed to solve the crisis in today’s global economy. They agreed to reach out to other world leaders with the idea of beginning a series of summits on… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
Give the man a break! Even Sophie Raworth, standing in for Andrew Marr on BBC AM yesterday morning, spoiled a good interview addressing the financial and economic crises facing us, by pounding away at him about his seeing a Russian oligarch socially. “No, you did not behave improperly, but you could be perceived as to… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
October 19, 2008
The members of the Reflection Group, set up by the European Council in December 2007, has at last named its membership. It now has until June 2010 to report. It is to be hoped that the reflection process will be transparent and participatory. Chair: Felipe González Márquez, Former Spanish Prime Minister Vice-Chairs: Vaira ViIe-Freiberga, Former… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
October 18, 2008
The Chinese Foreign Ministry agreeably surprised us yesterday by issuing new rules on reporting activities by foreign correspondents allowing them to interview without application to foreign affairs departments. “The new rules follow the major principles and spirits of the media regulations introduced for the Beijing Olympics,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
Most of the media reporting of the meeting of the European Council in Brussels was, understandably, on the financial crisis. The following is a summary of all decisions, which is worth browsing, as it gives a flavour of the priorities and extent of current activities:(para numbers do not necessarily correspond to conclusions) Summary 1. Finance… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
October 17, 2008
Published: October 17 2008 Financial Times Sir, John Thornhill’s article “Brussels looks like bewildered bystander amid turmoil” (October 15) deeply disappoints me in its misinterpretation of the EuroGroup decision on Sunday in Paris. It was a triumph for Europe. Of course it was driven by national governments – the Commission can play no more than… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
October 16, 2008
What a difference a weekend makes! Doom and gloom replaced by broad grins at yesterdays EU summit. One week ago, the financial markets were close to implosion. Enter EU Euro heads of government/state on white horses led by the unlikely figure of the UK prime minister and a brilliantly successful Sunday at l’Eysée. Remarkably, its… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
October 14, 2008
(borrowing the style of Le Point) En hausse Gordon Brown – Extraordinary success in influencing Euro and American leaders Nicolas Sarkozy – Successfully drove EU leaders to agree EU package Manuel José Barroso – Sarkozy seems to have changed attitude towards him. Invited to Camp David with Sarkozy Dominique Strauss-Kah – His stark warning influenced… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
October 13, 2008
No-one could write the script of the financial meltdown drama that continues to unfold. The story so far: The US $700bn bail-out did not stabilise the stock markets. The UK came up with a far more ambitious rescue plan, and at £500bn one commensurately much larger than the American equivalent, taking into account the relative… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
October 10, 2008
There is a strong body of opinion which advocates politicising the Commission and the election of its President, and that only by reproducing at EU level the kind of political society that exists at national level, will our citizens become interested. I question this thesis. It is true that this change would lead to more… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
Rated 6th most influential EU blog by Waggener Edstrom. European of British nationality, for nearly 30 years Bruxellois. Deep believer in the principle of 'mutuality' and Monnet's axiom "Thought cannot be divorced from action", equivalent to Wang Yangming
