Will England's influence in the EU and in the world dwindle after Prime Minister Cameron's veto of the European attempt to stabilize the euro like some suggest? One might be inclined to think that England's influence on the world's political scene will soon resemble that on the soccer pitch: vastly overexagerrated.
Maybe it's for the better? England has never really seen itself as being part of Europe anyway. 'Europe', when used by English politicians, more often than not means continental Europe and not, God forbid, the British Isles.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
'Keep your eyes on the money, Mr Berlusconi'
Even during times of great financial turmoil and crucial decision-making, Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi finds time to check out the ladies, i.e. the Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt.
Monday, March 14, 2011
The EU for (American) dummies
A quick guide to the EU - courtesy of the Delegation of the European Union to the USA. Not unbiased, but a good place to start if you're American and feeling a little confused about the whole EU-thing... So, here it is: The European Union - A Guide For Americans.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
A display of soft power
The EU is often criticized for not having much clout on the global political scene. But although the EU often fails to speak with one voice it doesn't mean that it's not powerful, economically or politically. Representing more than 500 million people in 27 countries, the EU has a combined GDP of $16.7 trillion, which is more than that of the US.
But despite its economic might, the EU is seldom on the global media's radar. There are at least two reasons for this: First, the EU lacks hard power, i.e. a single, strong army. If this piece is missing, attention is seldom given to any political actor. Second, the EU's strength lies in the fact it's powers lie in inspiring slow - and less-than-news worthy - progress. This focus on offering long term incentives like EU membership is what has been the primary driving force behind the impressive democratic and economic progress in Eastern Europe.
So, maybe the EU's best way to attract attention is to lead by example. That is why it's is interesting to see how the EU's High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (maybe a shorter job title would get her easier access to the world's newspaper columns) Catherine Ashton has taken steps to punish Libya for its overly aggressive methods during the country's ongoing revolution. While suspending a trade agreement with a country currently committing crimes against its people may seem a bit modest, at least the EU uses the most appropriate "weapon" in its arsenal. But more importantly, it sends a clear political message with real consequences for the Libyan regime - although, in the grand scheme of things, a modest one.
Suspending a trade agreement therefore shows something more important than the suspension itself. It shows that the EU can lead by example in high profile international crises.
But despite its economic might, the EU is seldom on the global media's radar. There are at least two reasons for this: First, the EU lacks hard power, i.e. a single, strong army. If this piece is missing, attention is seldom given to any political actor. Second, the EU's strength lies in the fact it's powers lie in inspiring slow - and less-than-news worthy - progress. This focus on offering long term incentives like EU membership is what has been the primary driving force behind the impressive democratic and economic progress in Eastern Europe.
So, maybe the EU's best way to attract attention is to lead by example. That is why it's is interesting to see how the EU's High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (maybe a shorter job title would get her easier access to the world's newspaper columns) Catherine Ashton has taken steps to punish Libya for its overly aggressive methods during the country's ongoing revolution. While suspending a trade agreement with a country currently committing crimes against its people may seem a bit modest, at least the EU uses the most appropriate "weapon" in its arsenal. But more importantly, it sends a clear political message with real consequences for the Libyan regime - although, in the grand scheme of things, a modest one.
Suspending a trade agreement therefore shows something more important than the suspension itself. It shows that the EU can lead by example in high profile international crises.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Better late than never...
So, the EU has decided to freeze the assets of former President Ben Ali of Tunisia. Better late than never, I suppose, but in a way it would have been refreshing to see someone fully support the positive political movement in Tunisia.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Europeans are socialists!
Europeans are socialists. At least that is the common perception among Americans if Fox News and other right-wing news outlets are believed to be somewhat representative of the American populace. Luckily they're not, but still. They're quite influential.
But are Europeans socialists? Of course not. In some European countries, the state plays a bigger part in people's lives than it does in the U.S. But it is a far cry from socialism where there is collective ownership over the means of production. It would be a mistake - most people would agree - to say that for example Great Britain is socialist. All EU - and most European - countries are liberal democracies with free and well-functioning market economies with minimal government intervention in the economy.
Not a single EU country lives up to the criteria of socialism, and for that reason alone, the EU cannot be said to be socialist. The claim reveals a fundamental ignorance of European politics and social life. That the EU should be socialist is a gross misinterpretation of the political and social structure that exists.
The misunderstanding is probably based on the fact that some EU countries are well-established welfare states where the government plays a big part in terms of health care and education. But having a strong welfare state doesn't mean the country is socialist.
Seeing how the Tea Party movement in the U.S. raves on about socialism in the U.S. is a bit bewildering when you observe it from across the Atlantic. How come no one is questioning whether or the Tea Party movement even knows what socialism entails?
The Tea Party movement's insistence on labeling the E.U. as socialist can be seen as nationalism in disguise. And questioning if President Obama is even a legitimate citizen - despite overwhelming evidence that he is - is either insane, improbably ignorant, or racist.
But are Europeans socialists? Of course not. In some European countries, the state plays a bigger part in people's lives than it does in the U.S. But it is a far cry from socialism where there is collective ownership over the means of production. It would be a mistake - most people would agree - to say that for example Great Britain is socialist. All EU - and most European - countries are liberal democracies with free and well-functioning market economies with minimal government intervention in the economy.
Not a single EU country lives up to the criteria of socialism, and for that reason alone, the EU cannot be said to be socialist. The claim reveals a fundamental ignorance of European politics and social life. That the EU should be socialist is a gross misinterpretation of the political and social structure that exists.
The misunderstanding is probably based on the fact that some EU countries are well-established welfare states where the government plays a big part in terms of health care and education. But having a strong welfare state doesn't mean the country is socialist.
Seeing how the Tea Party movement in the U.S. raves on about socialism in the U.S. is a bit bewildering when you observe it from across the Atlantic. How come no one is questioning whether or the Tea Party movement even knows what socialism entails?
The Tea Party movement's insistence on labeling the E.U. as socialist can be seen as nationalism in disguise. And questioning if President Obama is even a legitimate citizen - despite overwhelming evidence that he is - is either insane, improbably ignorant, or racist.
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