The Greek and Greek Cypriot politicians still try to make an anti-Turkey propaganda and a diversion within the EU (ABhaber confirmed that yesterday). Let’s underline this: Turkey doesn’t occupy Cyprus. Turkey intervened in Cyprus in order to save the Turkish Cypriots. Last year Carl Bildt answered to some Greek politicians at the EU parliament that… » read more
Archives for Enlargement
Message to the christian democrats: the European Union-Turkey negotiations already started!
June 23, 2011
According to ABhaber, the christian democrats are still making an anti-Turkey propaganda at the EU parliament. Though the European Union-Turkey negotiations already started. So it’s not credible and sensible to call into question Turkey’s European idendity and EU membership. The EU politicians (the christian democrats at the top) who are disgracefully sabotaging the EU-Turkey negotiations… » read more
Bring on Turkey
May 17, 2011
I’m more convinced than ever about the official EU-Turkey fusion. Yes, more than ever. The EU is very ill and needs a political change. See the EU below! That picture explains the European situation. Excellent criticism, isn’t it? Chris Patten too thinks what that caricature expresses very well. According to him, the issue of the… » read more
Channel Istanbul
May 1, 2011
Here is another positive surprise about Turkey: Kanal Istanbul (Channel Istanbul), which is an artificial maritime traffic that will (fully?) replace the current Bosphorus. At the end of the short article below I suggest a few very interesting useful comments.
Serbia’s EU association is not a Must
April 26, 2011
Practically the Eastern EU enlargement for the moment is stopped. Croatia’s membership is a bit delayed, Turkey’s EU bid is dead as the continent simply has no intention of ever incorporating 70 million Muslims and the rest – such as Serbia – are still more or less in association process. […]
The Kosovo ruling and obstacles to enlargement
July 25, 2010
Last week’s ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence did not contravene international law was bitter news for Serbia, which had brought the original case. The Serbian president Boris Tadic said that his country could never accept the unilateral declaration of independence, while for Kosovo’s ethnic Albanians it… » read more
The father of Europe, unrecognised in his own country?
December 3, 2009
I met Jacques Delors again. I had already had the honour of being in his company when we made a 90-minute TV film about him, Toma Tomov* and me, in 2001. We called the film “Citizen Delors”, partly inspired from a poster of “Citizen Kane” which Delors had kept in his Berlaymont office, in previous… » read more
Bulgarian, eastern europe, English, enlargement, Enlargement and Neighbours |
Should Eastern EU members immediately introduce the euro?
November 27, 2009
Guy Verhofstadt proposes that the East European EU countries which are still oustide the eurozone adopt the euro as a parallel currency. The proposal concerns Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania. I’m not sure this is a very good idea. If the euro was introduced as a parallel currency in… » read more
Is Turkish accession ambition sustainable?
November 24, 2009
Asking this question, I am using the language of the Turkish chief negotiator Egemen Bagiş. He says that his country’s negotiating process should be ’sustainable’ and advocates benchmarks, allowing chapters to be opened, negotiated and the closed, insted of either being blocked once opened, or prevented from opening. However I am not sure whether he… » read more
Do you like the new leaders of Europe?
November 20, 2009
I would give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I will like them. But it’s not love at first sight. (This is my shortest blogpost so far. I also realise that it looks like a haiku…)
Nobody wants the education portfolio?
November 16, 2009
Most of the candidates for commissioners have already been put forward. Although it is Barroso’s job to decide their field of activity, in most of the cases, the respective governments express the wish that they be given specific portfolios. EU countries express preferences for portfolios in fields where money is involved, such as internal market,… » read more
Where were you when the Berlin wall fell?
November 6, 2009
That’s the question to ask these days to people you met in the meantime. Well, if you or them are at least 30 years of age. There are moments, like 9/11, when everyone remembers what they have been doing, feeling and experiencing. By the way, the wall also fell on 9/11, but written the European… » read more
29475, Czech, eastern europe, English, enlargement, Enlargement and Neighbours, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak |
Does Obama realise Russia’s EU strategies?
November 2, 2009
Edward Lucas, a prominent analyst, says that Russia is pushing the USA out of Europe, trying to set up a condominium in the old continent between itself and countries such as France, Germany, Italy, to the detriment of Eastern Europe. Recently another knowledgeable specialist, Ariel Cohen, said that there is “little appetite” these days in… » read more
eastern europe, English, enlargement, Enlargement and Neighbours |
Putin punishes Eastern Europe
October 20, 2009
The Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin has punished Bulgaria for not being as pro-Russian as he wants, by excluding it from the South Stream gas pipeline and by abandoning the project of an oil pipeline from the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Varna to to Greek port Alexandroupolis. Indeed, Russia has had a consistent policy… » read more
Who wants a Macedonia encyclopaedia?
October 13, 2009
Not me, although I can read the language. In case you don’t know the background, please click here. Obviously Macedonia will not join the EU by exacerbating existing and creating inexistent problems with almost all its neighbours. I’m personally sorry about that, because I wish to see the citizens of this landlocked country enjoying the… » read more
Iceland’s path to EU membership may be a rocky one
July 28, 2009
I see that the EU Council of Ministers has asked the European Commission to deliver an opinion on Iceland’s application to join the EU, just 10 days after Reykjavik submitted its formal request for membership. The Swedish presidency wants the report by the end of the year, and foreign minister Carl Bildt has implied that… » read more
Agriculture, English, enlargement, Eurozone, Fisheries, Treaty of Lisbon, UK politics |
The EU should not over-stretch its Borders
January 26, 2009
Between 1995 and 2007 the EU has almost doubled its membership, from 15 to 27 members, accepting more new member states than ever before within a very short time span. This rapid expansion has not been preceded by the necessary strengthening of its institutional functioning, in particular its decision making capacity. Since 2004, the EU… » read more
Montenegro has applied for EU membership
January 11, 2009
During the last days of 2008 Montenegro has submitted a formal application to join the European Union. Montenegro has gained independence in 2006 and signed a pre-accession Stabilisation and Accession Agreement with the EU in October 2007. It’s economy is doing remarkably good although it is highly dependent on Russian investors. EU enlargement commissioner Olli… » read more
Croatia got EU entry timetable… Now what?
November 6, 2008
Yesterday Croatia has been given EU entry timetable. The European Commission claims it’s not “a blank check”, Paris and Berlin repeat their “no Lisbon – no enlargement” rhetoric, Ljubljana blocks chapters and Zagreb promises to fight corruption. So, nothing new from Brussels… If everything goes well (and I certainly hope it will), Croatia will end… » read more
Iceland and the European zone of interest
October 21, 2008
Iceland may join the EU as a result of the world financial crisis. However, the member of the European Economic Area and NATO had to turn to Russia for an emergency loan. The EU is as much challenged in the West as in the East from Russia. Iceland is one of the world’s most competitive… » read more