June 16, 2010
The credibility gap between the political class and the people is widening in most Member States, but there is no consensus as to what to do. The economic and financial challenges facing Europe require decisive leadership, but most national electoral systems make this difficult. The remedies to overcome the economic and financial crisis involve ‘pain… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
June 12, 2010
Do the EU leaders really want strong external representation? The dispute over who should have represented the Union at the international talks on phasing out mercury in Stockholm on 7-11 June, puts this into doubt. The EU was unable to speak with a single voice, or even negotiate, at the First Session of the Intergovernmental… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
June 10, 2010
Living three years in Iran, with extensive negotiating experience representing sometimes western companies and sometimes Iranian enterprises, taught me never to try to analyse Iranian thinking as if they were thought like us. The Iranian negotiating approach, whether natural or planned, is to confuse, enabling them to pick their way through confusion more easily than… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
June 7, 2010
BICCS (Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies invited 30 participants from 15 European institutes to participate in an intensive workshop, on 17-19 May, about China’s response to security challenges in Africa. The aim of this meeting was to examine the new security threats with which China has been confronted, the way China perceives these challenges… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
June 3, 2010
Guy Verhofstadt, president of the European Parliament (EP) Liberal Democrats and former Belgian prime minister, briefed the European Policy Centre today on his vision for Europe. In his view the main underlying issue at stake is whether the EU uses the ‘Community method’ or intergovernmentalism. The Union will only progress if it reduces its intergovernmental… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
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, Community method, economic governance, European Parliament, intergovernmentalism, Verhofstadt |
The European Parliament on 19 May voted themselves an additional €9.4 million for staff salaries, to help them cope with the additional work created under the Lisbon Treaty. Monthly staff budgets are currently €17 540 per MEP. However justified this might be, this is hardly an appropriate time to increase MEPs’ expenses and shows an… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
With all that is surprising us in the world of politics, my mind looks back at 1984. The French proposed Claude Cheysson as president of the European Commission. Margaret Thatcher vetoed the appointment and supported the candidature of Jacques Delors, in the mistaken belief that he was an economic liberal and more likely to steer… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
Israel has been widely condemned for its assault on a flotilla of humanitarian aid bound for Gaza. This was to be expected, but not some of the extreme statements coming from moderate countries. Even the EU response was biased. The EU condemned the use of violence and called for an independent enquiry. How could the… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
The China-EU Strategic and Economic Dialogue (SED), held in Beijing on 24-25 May, brought a pack of high-ranking officials on both sides. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, accompanied by 16 cabinet secretaries or agency heads, led a group of 200 Americans, while State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Vice Premier… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
May 25, 2010
Over 350 mainly young people gave European President Hermann van Rompuy an enthusiastic reception, at an event organized today by the European Movement, and held at The Bavarian Representation to the EU. He spoke for just 15 minutes on “After the LisbonTreaty – what can citizens expect? Moving from design to delivery”, and answered questions… » 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
