Graham McDougall – Just as the Euro represents a symbol of economic capital in what is perceived to be a rapidly homogenising European economy, the English language is quickly becoming a symbol of great cultural capital and a highly desirable, borderline indispensable skill; a must for the CV of any young European who wishes to be a important player in this brave new world.
I voted in the last presidential election just a few weeks ago. Yet still, when I gave my identity card to the embassy staff in Brussels I was somehow reminded of Romania’s communist legacy. “You are only half a Clujeanca, your birth place is actually Comanesti,” said the official. Indeed, I was born in the eastern part of Romania because my mother had been assigned a job there, as part of the Romanian Communist Party’s economic policies. Young professionals like her were uprooted upon finishing university, and spread around the country so that all regions would develop equally, no matter their local specificities.
Prince Albert and Princess Charlène of Monaco have introduced us to their two little twins, Jacques and Gabriella, just three weeks after their arrival into the world. The twins were warmly welcomed by the people of Monaco, who celebrated that day as if it was a National Holiday. However, the previous week the new-borns were…
Juniper, the pan-Cypriot dog born in the UN buffer zone, contemplates the Cyprus problem as she stares across the tarmac of the old Nicosia International Airport. The airport stands abandoned in the buffer zone that cuts across the island, dividing the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south, following Turkey’s invasion of northern Cyprus…
In the past inflation was the number one enemy of economists. Nowadays, you might find that the exact opposite is true, and that a fall in prices is now in the spotlight. Deflation has arisen as the main threat to the economy, and the European Central Bank (ECB) is under pressure to take decisive measures against it. Prices in the Eurozone have seen the first year-on-year decline in five years, according to Eurostat.
Youngsters from all over the world are attracted by the
spectacular music festivals, crazy night clubs and laid back coffee
shops.
The EU capital is having some laid-back moments during the holiday season.
…Apart from maintaining its single market, Europe must promote among others its cultural and historic wealth through the media, its educational system and through appropriate festivals and gatherings. The European identity, what unites us, needs to be stressed and take precedence over what divides us. This will serve everybody well in times of crisis, keeping the unity of the continent and benefiting from the accumulated strength of all EU nations. It will also help strengthen the sense of solidarity and promote equality in opportunities and living standards across the EU.
On Sunday, 14 December 2014, representatives of all UN member countries and the European Union managed to agree on the “Lima Call for Climate Action”. This was the most important result of two weeks of exhausting deliberations at the conference but also before. If one reads the three-and-a-half pages of this decision one will see many repetitions of code words that may not mean much to non-negotiators. The question easily arises: is all this diplomatic commotion of any use? How is it connected, if at all, to the real world of climate impacts and much-needed climate action?…
A drama in many funny acts unfolding in the bowels of the EU headquarters in Brussels
(Part II of Episode 1 just published!)
