European Avenue

Friday, 8 August 2008

Today's Links : 8th August (en)

'Russia strikes' as Georgia moves against rebels. The Independent (en)
Georgia launches offensive in South Ossetia. Shaun Walker, The Independent (en)
UK : Pity the Queen with a new PM. Michael Brown, The Independent (en)
French trade deficit hits record level. Ben Hall, The FT (en)
Europe and UK banks hold rates steady. Gerrit Wiesmann and Delphine Strauss, The FT (en)
Printemps makeover targets super-rich. Scheherazade Daneshkhu, The FT (en)
Georgia accuses Russia of military offensive. Roman Olearchyk and Charles Clover, The FT (en)
Clash over collective damages approach. Nikki Tait, The FT (en)

Thursday, 7 August 2008

Videos : 7th August, Special Holidays

It is summer, the JO start in Bejing and Everyone still love flight travel despite Global warming.
Here are 2 adds for ''Aeroport de Paris'', the structure in charge of the 3 Parisian airports.
The interest is that one is dated from 1971 and the second is the most recent one.
Differences are striking and show us how Europe and Europeans changed too since this time. In a time, when Asia and China are emerging as the future and people are dramatizing our 'Decadence and relative Decline', seeing these both adds might allow us to relativise with some humour, especially the scene with the woman at the hairdresser shop.

Blogs : 7th August

Meanwhile, that whole free movement of labor thing. Douglas Muir, A Fistful of Euros (en)
Farewell, the Polish Plumber. Philip Whyte, Center for European Reform (en)
Fuck You: Translating Greenspan's hackiness. Jerome a Paris, European Tribune (en) *** Recommended
My Husband And I... Eurosoc 2, Eurosoc (en)
How to define "Vital National Interests" in an "Ever Closer Union". Martin, Irony Too (en) *** Recommended
Electronic entry and Exit recording to Shengen Area. Julien Frisch, Watching Europe (en) ***
What is the EU for? (Part 2) Nosemonkey, EUtopia (en)
“The New Cold War: Putin’s Russia and the Threat to the West” by Edward Lucas (a book review). Vitaliy, The 8th Circle (en)

Today's Links : 7th August (fr)

Le SPD allemand se déchire sur le bilan des réformes menées sous l'ère Schröder. Marie de Vergès, Le Monde (fr)
La droite allemande veut encadrer les revenus des grands patrons. Marie de Vergès, Le Monde (fr)
Un syndicaliste doit répondre d'un billet gratuit de la Lufthansa pendant les grèves. Marie de Vergès, Le Monde (fr)

Gossip : 7th August

Fourth plinth is reserved for the Queen. James Macintyre, The Independent (en)

Today's Links : 7th August

British agencies fear one-way flow of information. Duncan Gardham, The Telegraph (en)
EU may force MI5 to share intelligence. Bruno Waterfield and Duncan Gardham, The Telegraph (en)
Russia threatens to move rockets to EU border. Adrian Blomfield, The Telegraph (en)
France mulls 'fat tax' on junk food. The Telegraph (en)
A tax on croissants? Mon Dieu! Sophie Tedmanson, The Independent (en)
Russia bids to find new elite breed. Charles Clover, The FT (en)
Comment: Russia can play a vital role in the west’s security. Maurizio Massari, The FT (en)
Editorial comment: Germany wobbles. The FT (en)
Editorial comment: Rwanda points a finger at Paris. The FT (en)
Fall in output fuels Spanish recession fears. Mark Mulligan, The FT (en)
Germany suffers steep drop in orders. Bertrand Benoit, The FT (en)
Clash erupts on use of data to fight crime. Jim Pickard, The FT (en)
Boost for emissions trading scheme. Nikki Tait, The FT (en)
Clash over collective damages approach. Nikki Tait, The FT (en)
Britain Debates Army’s Delay at Basra. John F Burns, The NYT (en)
German City Wonders How Green Is Too Green. Nicholas Kulish, The NYT (en)

Wednesday, 6 August 2008

SR : Beijing 2008

How Chairman Mao led China to humiliation. George Walden, The Times (en)

Blogs : 6th August

Reversing the flood of foreign workers. Certain Ideas of Europe (en)
Propaganda Я us. Richard, EU Referendum (en)
Would California have HSR today if it had been settled by France?. A Few, European Tribune (en)
Short Shrift For Miliband. Eurosoc 2, EuroSoc (en)
Jumping off Mostar bridge in the name of subsidiarity. Jon Worth, Euroblog (en)
Countries From 'Same Cultural Area' to share EU-Commissioner ? Julien Frisch, Watching Europe
The Czech Republic and the Lisbon Treaty. Nosemonkey, EUtopia (en)
The WHO on the CAP. Nosemonkey, EUtopia (en)
Kudos to the European Union. Vitaliy, The 8 Circle (en)
Lack of Funds Threatens Auschwitz Death Camp Memorial . DW staff (jen), Deutsch Welle (en)

Comment : Mercer's 2008 Cost of Living survey highlights

Here is the list with the EU Cities in the Top50 Most Expensive Cities in the World. In several review, It looks like being 'expensive' is an achievement. I am really sure if being the most most expencive city is a title we can be proud of, especially in this economical environment. There are 25 EU cities in the Top50 and 7 more European cities from countries outside of the EU.
1 Moscow Russia
3 London UK
7 Copenhagen Denmark
10 Milan Italy
12 Paris France
16 Dublin Ireland
16 Rome Italy
19 Vienna Austria
21 Helsinki Finland
22 New York City US
25 Amsterdam Netherlands
25 Athens Greece
28 Madrid Spain
29 Prague Czech Rep.
31 Barcelona Spain
31 Stockholm Sweden
35 Warsaw Poland
37 Munich Germany
38 Berlin Germany
39 Brussels Belgium
40 Frankfurt Germany
43 Luxembourg Luxembourg
45 Bratislava Slovakia
46 Düsseldorf Germany
46 Riga Latvia
49 Zagreb Croatia
50 Hamburg Germany
For more information about the survey:
Mercer's 2008 Cost of Living survey highlights. Mercer (en)
Enquête internationale Mercer 2008 sur le coût de la vie. Mercer (fr)
Paris, 2e ville la plus chère de la zone euro. Soren Seelow, Le Monde (fr)

Video : 6th August, Break in USA, Paris Hilton answers to the 'Super Old Mc Cain'

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Today's Links : 6th August (fr)

L'année américainedu Rafale. Renaud Girard, Le Figaro (fr)
Le devoir de cohérence des Européens. Pierre Lequiller, Le Figaro (fr)
Nicolas Sarkozy: apres lui, le chaos (second part). Julien Martin, Rue89 (fr)

Today's Links : 6th August (en)

Poland ends army conscription. Matthew Day, The Telegraph (en)
Recession signalled by key indicators of British economy. Sean O'Grady, The Independent (en)
Writer was first to break wall of silence. Roy Medvedev, The Times (en)
Harsh reality dispels Swedes’ holiday mood. David Ibison, The FT (en)
Italians approve cuts in spending. Guy Dinmore, The FT (en)
Rwanda to indict French over genocide. Barney Jopson, William Wallis and Ben Hall, The FT (en)
GDP cut holds up German recovery. Bertrand Benoit, The FT (en)
EU to free up radio waves to ease traffic. Nikki Tait, The FT (en)

Tuesday, 5 August 2008

Comment : Ariane, The EU and its Future

Frederic d'Allest, former president of the French Aereospace Agency (CNES) and former Chairman of Arianepsace wrote a vibrant article on the Future of the leading commercial space rocket and the current lack of vision of European leaders. He argues that without stronger and quick actions and decisions, Europe will loose a strategic advantage in our world. He finally suggest that France, as the precursor of the European Space program should make an initiative during its EU presidency.
La fusée Ariane menacée de disparition, par Frédéric d'Allest. Le Monde (fr)

Monday, 4 August 2008

Cartoon : 4th August

Charlemagne : Bring out your models
Here a extract of this recommended article from the Economist :
"In other words, when all other things are equal, the fit should fare better than the frail. This is true of economies as well as of people. Nobody wishes for an epidemic, but if one really is about to strike, Europe is in for a revealing few years."

The Economist 2008

EP Elections 2009 : 4th august

The European Commission made it easier for EU citizens living abroad to stand or vote in EP elections.
Constitutional affairs - 26-09-2007 (en)
Constitutional affairs - 26-09-2007 (fr)
and a report on Eur activ.com :
Parliament seeks to cure voter apathy by 2009 poll.

Blogs : 4th August

Sunday morning lifeblogging: adventures in European subtitling. Guy La Roche, A Fistful of Euros (en)
C'est la trêve du mois d'août. Jean Quatremer, Les Coulisses de Bruxelles (fr)
No mention of the EU. Irony Too (en)
Powerful Women : Rama Yade. Julien Frisch, Watching Europe (en)
Ironic. ReEuropa (en)
running for re-election. Open Europe Blog (en)
Summary of Russia’s new anticorruption plan. Vitaliy, The 8th Circle (en)

Today's Links : 4th August (fr)

Barroso le consensuel, candidat à sa propre succession . Jean Quatremer, Liberation (fr)
Crises financières, l’éternel retour . Bertrand Groslambert, Liberation (fr)
Chine et Occident les yeux dans les yeux . Editorial, Le Figaro (fr)
Les quatre devoirs de la Belgique française. Daniel Ducarme, Belgian State Secretary, Le Fiagro (fr)

Today's Links : 4th August

Off the Shelf: Who Said Brussels Was Boring? Stephen Kotkin, The NYT (en) ***
In Germany, a City’s Famed Industry Now Helps Keep It Afloat. Nicholas Kulish, The NYT (en)***
EU 'dumbs down' job tests. Justin Stares, The Telegraph (en) *** (Recommended)
Radovan Karadzic 'was under US protection until 2000'. Jon Swaine, The Telegraph (en)
Eurozone factory activity at five-year low. Gerrit Wiesmann, The FT (en)
Kevin Done: It is not yet the end for budget air travel. Kevin Done, The FT (en)
Medvedev tiptoes out of Putin’s shadow . Charles Clover, The FT (en)
Spain to cut car speeds to save energy. Mark Mulligan, The FT (en)
Germany’s SPD in expulsion storm. Hugh Williamson, The FT (en)
Active state. The FT (en)
Comment: Give Serbia a chance. Bozidar Djelic, The FT (en)
Data handover could boost tax evasion fight. Gerrit Wiesmann, The FT (en)
Russia warns Georgia over breakaway province. The FT (en)
City warns against EU crackdown. Nikki Tait, The FT (en)

Saturday, 2 August 2008

Food for Thought : 2nd August

"The psychology of the Human animal is malleable, with his personality dependent upon the proximity of other members if the species and the pressures exerted by them."
-Erasmus, Laboratory notes

Interview : Bernard Kouchner on France24

B.Kouchner, ministre Affaires étrangères
Uploaded by FRANCE_24

This is a Video interview from the France based International News channel.
The French foreign affairs minister gives his take on the relations with Iran, the situation in Iraq, the recently-created Mediterranean Union and his daily work with President Nicolas Sarkozy.

However, the most interesting part of the interview is At the beginning of the 8th Minute.
We can watch a 'portrait' or a Biography of the Minister made by a reporter.

In his Blog, La Mouette makes a strong analysis of the Minister's Reactions.

" C’est le masque, le crime de lèse majesté. Mister Hide remplace le Dr Jekkyl, n’hésitant pas à parler un «portrait discutable» et d’une «illustration bêtasse».
Le journaliste qui a fait le reportage n’a pas pris de gants. Le portrait est cruel, du sac de riz au « passage à l’ennemi » en n’omettant pas de mentionner que : «son pouvoir est plus que limité, tous les dossiers sensibles sont gérés de l’Elysée» et que l’homme politique a connu « un succès politique mitigé ». Aucun scoop, aucune contre-vérité mais le reportage place Bernard Kouchner face à ses contradictions. "

"This is the Mask, a crime of Lese-majesty. Mister Hide replaces Dr Jekkyl, talking about an ''questionable portrayal'' and a ''Sutpid exemplification''.

The journalist who made this documentary has not been politically correct. The portrayal is crual, from the rice bag to the ''Passage a l'ennemi'' (by joining Sarkozy's government) without omitting that ''his power is limited and that all the sensitive issues are directly treated at the Elysee Palace'' ...."

Short after the polemical report, we can actually see Bernard Kouchner loosing his temper. However, I have to say that I agree with all the arguments he is using and that eventually I would happy to have his job. I particularly liked when he compares his position with his predecessors and when he clearly argues that we cannot based a Foreign Policy only on Human Rights.

I put both version of the interview : the French one and the English one.

B.Kouchner, foreign affairs minister
Uploaded by FRANCE_24

Weekend's Links : The Economist

Turkey : A narrow scrape for democracy. The Economist (en)
Divorce : Divorce without borders. The Economist (en)
Romania : Mr Too Clean? The Economist (en)
Italy and Libya : Undoing the damage. The Economist (en)
High technology in Russia : Dubna’s tale . The Economist (en)
Bring out your models. Charlemagne, The Economist (en) *** Strongly Recommended

Friday, 1 August 2008

Food for Thought : 1st August

"I don't believe there is such a thing as a 'lost cause', only those without suitably dedicated followers."
-Serena Butler.

Blog : EUtopia, 1st August

EU news and views, 31st July.
I found this post from Nosemonkey today. It seems that I missed some good articles these last few days. consequently, i decided to post the links that I haven't added yet on the blog from his list :
Making the Case for a Multi-Speed Europe. Deusche-Welle (en)
EU Should Become Union of European Regions, Expert Says. Deusche-Welle (en)
Belgium split threatens Europe not just the EU and the Lisbon Treaty! Martin, Irony Too (en)
Business favours Blair as EU president. Lucia Kubosova, EUobserver (en)
Why did the Doha talks collapse? Open Europe Blog (en)
Should Europeans Care about Doha ? Katinka Barysch, Center For European Reform Blog (en)
Berlusconi sends troops to back police. International Herald Tribune (en)
Roma MEP places Italy fingerprinting into context. Eur Activ.com (en)
France and Other States Experiment with Direct Democracy. Spiegel (en)
Réforme constitutionnelle et Europe. Gus, Publius (fr)

Election 2009 : 1st August

Tracking : EP Elections 2009 (VI) Julien Frisch, Watching Europe (en)
European Elections: Outlook for 2009. Eur Activ.com (en)

Video : 1st August Gordon Broon's "Doonfall"

I found this interesting video on Eursoc Blog. The choice of the recent German movie 'Downfall', depicting the Furher fall and comparing it with the current Gordon Brown Miseries in UK was a very risky choice. The start of the movie depicts the Huge defeat of the Labour Party in a Bi-election (for a Parliamentary seat) by a the SNP, The Scotish Nationalist Party. I have to say that if the movie made me a bit unconfortable, I actually find it very good.

If you want more insight on the current situation in Britain, you will find all the good links in my recent posts, especially a Special Repport section made at the beginning of the week : Special Report : Labour Leadership Crisis in UK, 28th July

Blogs : 1st August

Globalisation meets Bulgaria. PO Neil, A Fistful of Euros (en)
Lisbon : 24 à 1. Jean Quatremer, Les Coulisses de Bruxelles (fr)
Prattling while Rome burns. Richard, EU Referendum (en)
Globalisation RIP ? Afew, European Tribune (en)
Peking Duck and plastic ducks. John Worth, Euroblog (en)

Today's Links : 1st August (fr)

Nucléaire : le bon choix de la France. Yves Thréard, Le Figaro (fr)
OMC : New Delhi et Pékin imposent leur loi . Jean-Pierre Robin, Le Figaro (fr)
"En Belgique, nous vivons déjà dans des mondes séparés". Le Monde (fr)
L'échec de l'OMC n'est pas catastrophique. Simon Nixon, Le Monde (fr)

Today's Links : 1st August (en)

The problem is not just Brown. The Telegraph (en)
Germany’s SPD expels former economics minister . Hugh Williamson, the FT (en)
Brussels outlines ratings agencies plan. Nikki Tait and Paul J. Davies, The FT (en)
Greece scraps anti-laundering unit. Kerin Hope, The FT (en)
Moscow to seize grain export controls. Javier Blas, The FT (en)

	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
EU	16	18	12	46
Italy	3	4	2	9
France		7	2	9
United Kingdom	3	1	1	5
Germany	3	1	1	5
Netherlands	1	1	2	4
Czech Republic	2			2
Slovakia	1	1		2
Spain	1		1	2
Romania	1		1	2
Finland	1		1	2
Austria		1	1	2
Sweden		1		1
Hungary		1		1
Slovenia				0
Portugal				0
Poland				0
Malta				0
Luxembourg				0
Lithuania				0
Latvia				0
Ireland				0
Greece				0
Estonia				0
Denmark				0
Cyprus				0
Bulgaria				0
Belgium				0

Thursday, 31 July 2008

Food for Thought : 31st of July

"Only Those with Narrow minds fail to see that the Definition of Impossible is 'Lack of Imagination and Incentive'."
-Serena Butler

Picture of the Day : 31st july

New X-ray technique reveals hidden van Gogh. Stephen Adams, The Telegraph

Blogs : 31st July

The message. About David Miliband Tribune on The Guardian, Charlie Whitaker, A Fistful of Euros (en)
Has Miliband gone too far? Economist.com, Certain Ideas of Europe (en)
Why do some Belgians want to become French? The Economist-Brussels, Certain Ideas of Europe (en)
Should Ukraine join the EU and/or NATO ? Julien Frisch, Watching Europe (en)
Corruption is not enough to bring down Bulgarian government. Vitaliy, The 8th Circle (en)
Blogosphere debate: what role should Ukraine play in the EU and NATO? Vitaliy, The 8th Circle (en)

Today's Links : 31st July (fr)

Commission européenne: Barroso forever? Jean Quatremer, Les Coulisses de Bruxelles (fr)
L'inflation bat un nouveau record dans la zone euro. Le Monde (fr)
L'est de l'Allemagne rassuré sept mois après l'ouverture de l'espace Schengen. Cécile Calla, Le Monde (fr)
Les Suédois se mobilisent contre la surveillance électronique. Olivier Truc, Le Monde (fr)

Quote of the Day : 31st July David Miliband

Cartoon from The Time, 31st July

the Labour party "must stop feeling sorry for ourselves, enjoy a break and then find the confidence to make the case afresh."
"Now we need more imagination to distribute more power and control to citizens over the education, healthcare and social services that they receive."

David Miliband, Foreign Secretary, 29th July The Guardian

Against all odds we can still win, on a platform for change.

Miliband may well have sealed Brown's fate. Steve Richards, The Independent (en)

How Miliband started the race for No 10. Andy McSmith, James Macintyre and Nigel Morris, The Independent (en)

Miliband refuses to step back from the brink. Francis Elliott, The Times (en)

Gossip : 31st July

Giscard d'Estaing a victim of chateau slump. John Lichfield, The Independent (en)
I am like Jackie Kennedy says Carla Bruni. The Times (en)

Today's Links : 31st July (en)

German court overturns smoking ban. Harry de Quetteville, The Telegraph (en)
Berlusconi declares war on YouTube. Michael Day, The Telegraph (en)
Karadzic to face court. Bruno Waterfield, The Telegraph (en)
Spain cuts speed limit and turns out lights. John Lichfield, The Independent (en)
Turkey steps back from brink as court rules against ruling party ban. Nicholas Birch, The Independent (en)
Turkey steps back from the brink of chaos. Suna Erdem, The Times (en)
Comment: Reforms to help euro punch its weight. Benjamin Cohen and Paola Subacch, The FT (en)
Putin attacked over market fall. Catherine Belton, The FT (en)
Polish PM fails to deliver promised reforms. Jan Cienski, The FT (en)
Italy’s Enel opens new coal-fired power plant. Guy Dinmore, The FT (en)
Eurozone inflation surges to 4.1%. The FT (en)
Eurozone economy suffers fall in confidence. Gerrit Wiesmann, The FT (en)

Wednesday, 30 July 2008

Food for Thought : 30th July

"Any man who asks for greater authority does not deserve to have it."
-Tercero Xavier Harkonnen.

Blogs : 30th July

Belgique : les Francophones en faveur d’un rattachement à la France. Jean Quatremer, Les Coulisses de Bruxelles (fr)
Trade and climate. P O Neill, A Fistful of Euros (en)
The Baltics, Lithuania, and Eastern Europe ... redux. Alpha sources (en)
Will the Euro become the leading global currency? Julien Frisch, Watching Europe (en)
Bent Banana Boat Song. Afew, European Tribune (en)
UK : Disloyal Courtiers. Eurosoc Two, EuroSoc (en)
The UK: Cool American Politics. A Miller, The Brussels Journal (en)
Analyzing corruption in Estonia. Vitaliy, The 8th Circle (en)

Today's links : 30th July (fr)

Media will taste a 'light web' with Chinese recipe. Laurent Suply, Le Figaro (fr)
Wallons tempted to join France. Jean-Jacques Mével, Le Figaro (fr)
For the first time ever, the CDU overtakes the SPD. Pierre Bocev, Le Figaro (fr)
For a stronger Transatlantic Relationship. Dora Bakoyannis and Radosław Sikorski, Greek and Polish Foreign Affairs Ministers, Le Figaro (fr)
"Disappointment" after the WTO negociation failure. Le Monde (fr)
Pascal Lamy : "this meeting is a failure". Le Monde (fr)
WTO : the winners and the losers. Le Soir (fr)
WTO : nine EU members set up a meeting last monday against the current offer. Le Soir (fr)

Today's Links : 30th July (en)

Karadzic arrives at The Hague to face war crimes tribunal. Jenny Booth and Anne Barrowclough, The Times (en)
Gloom sets in for French consumers and industry. The FT (en)
Italian Court Permits U.S. to Expand Military Base. The NYT (en)

Gossip : 30th July

Call me Jackie... OK Carla - but does that make Sarko the new JFK? John Lichfield, The Independent (en)

SR : Labour Leadership Crisis in UK, 30th july

David Miliband positioning himself to be next Prime Minister. Rosa Prince and Robert Winnett, The Telegraph (en)
David Miliband lines up to challenge Gordon Brown for leadership. Rosa Prince, The Telegraph (en)
UK : Disloyal Courtiers. Eurosoc Two, EuroSoc (en)
The UK: Cool American Politics. A Miller, The Brussels Journal (en)

Tuesday, 29 July 2008

Food for Thought A : 29th July

"The mind commands the body, and immediately it obeys.
The mind orders itself, and meets resistance."
-Saint Augustine, Ancient Philosopher

Today's Links : 29th July (fr)

Arrests in France and in Spain surround the ETA military structure. Isabelle Mandraud, Le Monde (fr)
Crisis at Downing Street. Editorial, Le Monde (fr) ***
WTC : Sarkozy intrigues his European partners. Philippe Ricard and Alain Faujas, Le Monde (fr)
Sarkozy "en porte-à-faux" (Sarkozy in an Awkward situation). Editorial, Le Monde (fr)

Trailer : 29th July, W. Bush, an Oliver Stone Film

Blogs : 29th July

In Memoriam Lord Russell Johnston. Julien Frisch, Watching Europe (en)
Wolfgang Munchau Proposes The EU Organise An IMF-type Rescue For Spain. Edward Hugh, a Fistful of Euros (en)
The Danish model pt. 2 - Labour market structure. JakeS, European Tribune (en)
Eurozone in Trouble ? Nosemonkey, EUtopia (en)
Bosnian president Silajdzic avoiding questions. Julien Frisch, Watching Europe (en)
Corruption affects Poland’s “Ekstraklasa”. Vitality, The 8th Circle (en)
The Eurozone - That Sinking Feeling? CV, Alpha Sources (en)
Sarkozy drapes France in the EU flag. Helena, Blogging From Brussels (en)
New website of Euobserver launched. Brussels Blogger, Brussels Media (en)
German Consumer Confidence Slides Raising Eurozone Recession Fears. Edward Hugh, Euro Watch (en)
Web 2.0: The Future of Collaborative Government. Europa EU Audience (en, fr)
Europhobia and the return of Napoleon. ESL the ESLaPorte, Yellow Star Blog (en)
Dutch EU project fund remains controversial. Raymond Frenken, White Bull (en, nl)
It's a mad, mad world. Richard, EU Referendum (en)
Ireland : Human Sacrifice, EU-Style. Eursoc Two, Eursoc (en)
Brussels - St Pancras - Gatwick - Montréal and onwa. Jon Worth, Euroblog (en)

Today's Links : 29th July (en)

Viva Espana: Democracy's influence on a sporting nation. Pete Jenson, The Independent (en)
Istanbul shopping centre blasts toll rises to 17. The Independent (en)
Economics: Eurozone may beat Britain to recession. Ashley Seager, The Guardian (en)
New Lisbon vote would be suicide for Cowen. Henry McDonald, The Guardian (en)
The EU can strengthen Turkish secularism. Hakan Altinay and Kalypso Nicolaidis, The FT (en)
Editorial Comment: Nuclear options. The FT (en)
Italy sees chance to revive university system. Guy Dinmore, The FT (en)
Milan Expo attracts Gulf investors. The FT (en)
European defence: How to take ‘no’ for an answer. Nick Witney, The FT (en)
After Bike-Sharing Success, Paris Considers Electric Cars. The NYT (en)

Gossip : 29th July

Bruni gives album away. The Telegraph (en)
Monsieur Sarko’s holiday. Matthew Campbell, The Times (en)
Picture kept in a drawer ‘is £100m da Vinci’. John Follain , The Times (en)
Non, Monsieur le Président. Dominique Moisi, The Guardian (en)
Debating freedom along a border beach. The Economist (en)

Monday, 28 July 2008

28th July : Economics Does Not Lie. Guy Sorman, The City Journal (en)

24th July : Why did France fall in love with McDonald's? Andrew Shanahan, The Guardian (en)

19th July : The Olympic Games, the Chinese Height. Alexandre Adler, Le figaro (fr)

Video of the Day : 28th July, CNN

The Video was found in an article from the ReEuropa Blog dated of the 18th July.
This is an interesting view of what is the EU. It has been successful in warming me up in less than 20 seconds and the rest od the video is not worse ....

"Lou Dobbs Tonight," CNN, June 18, 2007. Hopefully, this video is from a year ago. The journalist might have had opportunities to read more about the EU and the Europeans since then....

EU 2009 : 28th July

Tracking EP Elections 2009 IV. Julien Frisch , Watching Europe (en)
Tracking EP Elections 2009 III. Julien Frisch , Watching Europe (en)
Tracking EP Elections 2009 II. Julien Frisch , Watching Europe (en)
Tracking EP Elections 2009 I. Julien Frisch , Watching Europe (en)

Today's Links : 28th July (fr)

Minitraité : les Irlandais refusentun second vote. Stéphane Kovacs, Le Figaro (fr)
Dix-sept morts dans un double attentat à Istanbul. Le Monde (fr)

Today's Links : 28th July (en)

Silvio Berlusconi: The padrone is back and he means business. The Independent (en)
French attitudes serve the powerful, but not the people. Matthew Campbell, The Times (en)
Visa offer adds to Doha momentum. Alan Beattie, The FT (en)
Belgrade prepares for Karadzic backlash. Neil MacDonald, The FT (en)
UN diplomat prepares for Cyprus talks. Kerin Hope and Vincent Boland, The FT (en)
Germany stays top of solar power league. Hugh Williamson, The FT (en)
Bargain hunting becomes new French passion. Scheherazade Daneshkhu, The FT (en)
Eurozone mortgage lending at record low . Ralph Atkins, The FT (en)
Russian Proposal Calls for Broader Security Pact. Judy Dempsey, The NYT (en)

Gossip : 28th July

Juan Carlos and Chávez smile and make up. Mark Mulligan, The FT (en)

SR : Labour Leadership Crisis in UK, 28th july

Rebel Labour MPs plot to topple Gordon Brown. Andrew Porter, Robert Winnett and Jon Swaine, The Telegraph (en)
Labour Party leaders fight to prop up Gordon Brown. Robert Winnett, The Telegraph (en)
Gordon Brown's demise may be a nightmare for the Tories. Janet Delay, The Telegraph (en)
David Cameron lightweight but likeable, finds YouGov poll. The Telegraph (en)
Ministers should govern, not plot. The Telegraph (en)
Tories ready to rule, say voters. Andrew Grice, The Independent (en)
Labour in crisis: What happens next? The Independent (en)
Labour in crisis: Is it really all over for Brown? Jane Merrick and Brian Brady, The Independent (en)
It is almost impossible for Mr Brown to cling on. And it is almost impossible to replace him. Bruce Anderson, The Independent (en)
What Glasgow East really means . Daniel Finkelstein, The Times (en)
Weakened Brown gives in to union demands . Christine Buckley and Francis Elliott, The Times (en)
The how, when, who and whether of finding new leader . Peter Riddell, The Times (en)
'Back or sack' Brown, says union leader . Sam Coates, The Times (en)
Unions call for Hutton's head after 'fall-out' . Sam Coates, The Times (en)
Trade union chiefs ready to dump Brown . Jonathan Oliver, The Times (en)

Saturday, 26 July 2008

Quote of the Day : 26th July, Bernard Kouchner

"I didn't vote for Nicolas Sarkozy. But I get on well with him. It's not a relationship of subservience... I believed, like him, that French foreign policy needed to be changed,"

Bernard Kouchner. Interview with Charles Bremner, 26th July 2008.

Charles Bremner Blog.

Weekend's Links : 26th July (fr)

Prostests in Bosnia supporting Karadzic. LS, Le Figaro (fr)
Divorce : a reinforced coopération ? Jean Quatermer, Les Coulisses de Bruxelles (fr)
In Spain, housing and finance crashes raise unemployment. Le Monde (fr)
"Toute l'Afrique n'a pas rejeté le discours de Dakar". Henri Guaino, French President's Special Advisor, Le Monde.
Accords et désaccords entre socialistes français. Thomas Ferenczi, Le Monde (fr)

Weekend's Link : 26th July (en)

France : The reformist president. The Economist (en)
Lisbon Treaty : Vote early, vote often. The Economist (en)
Serbia and Radovan Karadzic : Arrest of a bearded man. The Economist (en)
Bulgaria, Romania and the EU : Balkan blushes. The Economist (en)
Smoking in Germany : Bans up. The Economist (en)
Defensive gestures. Charlemagne, The Economist (en)
Sarkozy catches Obama fever. Henry Samuel in Paris and Alex Spillius, The Telegraph (en)
Ryanair sparks row with Italy. Adrian Michaels, The Telegraph (en)
Cyprus summit may set talks timetable. The Telegraph (en)
UK : The election that could rock the nation. Alan Cochrane, The Telegraph (en)
Leading article: Europe today. Tomorrow, America. The Independent (en)
Peace in our time – or more Euro-squabbling? Chris Patten, The Guardian (en) ***
3 Hours in Paris, and Smiles All Around. Jeff Zeleny and Steven Erlanger, The NYT (en)
Turkey and Greece to Make New Attempt at United Cyprus. Sebnem Arsu. The NYT (en)

Best of Blogs : Weekend 26th July

Why Belgium ? Nosemonkey, Nosemonkey's EUtopia (en)
Heaven saves us from half-time MEPs. Julien Frisch, Julien Frisch's Blog (en)
Du journalisme sur le net. Jean Quatremer, Les Coulisses de Bruxelles (fr)
At home with Bernard Kouchner, Sarkozy's musketeer. Charles Bremner Blog (en)

Friday, 25 July 2008

Comment AB : The Economist's Big Mac Index 2008

The Economist, 24th July 2008

It will be a surprise for No one : European Currencies are overvalued compared to the Dollar. However, an American can still put on weight (if he can) in Asia, where the big Mac is much cheaper.
The Big Mac Index on The Economist.com