May 31, 2011
The Guardian yesterday reported that Labour MPs are considering working “with parliamentarians from any party” to limit Britain’s involvement in future eurozone bail-outs, in what appears to be an invitation to Tory eurosceptics. Although its demands r…
Posted by Open Europe blog team
EU Foreign Minister Baroness Catherine Ashton yesterday presented the Commission’s proposals for a revamp of EU aid to post-Communist countries, North Africa and the Middle East under the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). This review was certainly…
Posted by Open Europe blog team
MEPs on the “Policy Challenges Committee” have agreed on their proposals for the next multi-annual EU budget period, to run from 2014-2020. When it comes to EU budget negotiations, this is the big one – these talks will set the overall “envelope” for e…
Posted by Open Europe blog team
Greece’s representative in the European Commission – EU Fisheries Commission Maria Damanaki – made some interesting comments about the Greek crisis earlier today, essentially becoming the first Greek or EU official to openly admit that even Greec…
Posted by Open Europe blog team
In De Standaard, Bart De Wever (photo), leader of Flemish nationalist party N-VA – Belgium’s biggest party – has defended his decision to give an introduction to a speech made by Czech President Václav Klaus during a Belgian state visit. Klaus, as y…
Posted by Open Europe blog team
The last few days have seen some tough talk from the UK’s Foreign Office on the size and role of Catherine Ashton’s External Action Service. Following a meeting of EU foreign ministers yesterday, Europe Minister David Lidington used uncharacteristicall…
Posted by Open Europe blog team
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catherine ashton, David Lidington, EEAS, eu foreign minister, EU foreign policy, EU reform, hague |
May 24, 2011
The crushing defeat for the Spanish government in last weekend’s regional elections, along with the seemingly infinitely escalating situation in Greece, has seen concerns over the state of the Spanish economy rear their head once more.Though we’re ge…
Posted by Open Europe blog team
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ECB, eu, euro, eurozone. bail-out, interest rates, sovereign debt, Spain |
Zerohedge is taking a somewhat amusing look at calls in Germany last year for buying Greek government bonds, spearheaded by a campaign in Handelsblatt under the headline “We are buying Greek government bonds!”Amongst a range of prominent people explain…
Posted by Open Europe blog team
On Friday, the FT revealed that France is leading a majority group of eurozone governments in opposition to German demands that the permanent eurozone bailout mechanism include clear language providing for the inclusion of private bondholders in negoti…
Posted by Open Europe blog team
May 23, 2011
Over on Conservative Home Steve Baker highlights a new paper from two professors at ESCP Europe Business School, which demonstrates the huge level of interconnectivity between the debt problems of different EU economies. The paper suggests that countri…
Posted by Open Europe blog team
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