The European Union is often derided for policy confusion and speaking with a multitude of voices - but sometimes it’s not the EU’s fault, it’s the fault of one of the member-states. Take the idea of setting up a European Monetary Fund. This emerged as a serious possibility for the first...
Posted to
Comment
on 03-11-2010
Filed under: Economic policy, Financial crisis, Germany, euro, france, Angela Merkel, financial regulation, European Central Bank, European Monetary Fund
I take it that everyone has seen the insulting picture on the cover of the February 22 edition of Focus, a lightweight German news magazine? Under the headline ”Swindlers in the euro family”, it shows the Venus de Milo statue, a monument of ancient Greek civilisation, sticking up a middle...
Posted to
Comment
on 03-09-2010
Filed under: Italy, Economic policy, Financial crisis, Britain, Germany, euro, European monetary union, Greece, debt crisis, Günter Grass, national insults
The European Union needs to raise its economic growth potential - on that, at least, the bloc’s 27 member-states and the European Commission agree. Otherwise Europe risks a speedy descent into relative economic decline, and its cherished “social model” - combining a liberal market economy...
Posted to
Comment
on 03-07-2010
Filed under: Commission, Economic policy, eu, European economic model, EU economic policy, Lisbon Agenda, Europe 2020
The most important speech delivered in Europe last week came from Herman Van Rompuy, the European Union’s full-time president. It had real depth and did not try to conceal the EU’s problems behind a mask of unconvincing optimism.
The speech addressed how to strengthen Europe’s role...
Posted to
Comment
on 03-01-2010
Filed under: US, Foreign policy, Economic policy, eu, EU foreign policy, Herman Van Rompuy, Van Rompuy, EU economic policy, European Union's future