Cision Finland ranked the top ten political blogs in Finland according to their own algorithm. The tabloid Ilta-Sanomat picked up the news and the Green Party paper Vihreä lanka happily noted the strong showing of Green politicians.
The Green top duo Jyrki JJ Kasvi and Osmo Soininvaara was complemented by the Green minister Heidi Hautala in seventh place.
The justice minister Anna-Maja Henriksson came in third and Finland's EU and trade minister Alexander Stubb fifth.
I was astonished to find my English blog Grahnlaw, which deals with "remote" EU issues, ranked fourth among these well known public figures in Finland.
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU affairs, especially digital policy and law
P.S. 1: For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
P.S. 2: Referring the anti-piracy treaty #ACTA to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) marks a lull in the proceedings, but not an end to the political battle. A few moments ago, the petition launched by @Avaaz for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject ACTA had already been signed by 2,418,109 netizens, but more are welcome until the official burial.
Tomorrow, Saturday 25 February 2012, European netizens join forces through more than 150 demonstrations for open and democratic legislation and Internet freedoms. In Finland Stop ACTA Helsinki convenes in front of the Central Railway Station at 14:00 hours.
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Friday, 24 February 2012
Saturday, 14 January 2012
EU Council presidency of Denmark in the media 2/2
Jon Worth's earlier as well as his two latest blog posts (here and here) about his press trip to Denmark and the launch of the Danish presidency of the Council of the European Union offer both his personal impressions and references to media. He has also actively taken part in the Twitter discussion under the hashtag #eu2012dk (although many tagged tweets seem to disappear into a black hole, here as elsewhere).
In the first part I limited my references to the blogs of Worth, the Copenhagen British Embassy and myself, but here I am going to widen the scope with regard to the Danish presidency.
EU Council presidency
Commission and official
Officially the presidency was kicked off by festivities in the host country, where the European Commission met the government in customary fashion to discuss the priorities for the next six months. Commission president José Manuel Barroso issued a press statement where he emphasised fiscal consolidation, growth reforms such as in the single market and the next long term budget (Multiannual Financial Framework).
Barroso did not volunteer a single word on the fascinating Danish paradox between four priorities and four opt-outs from the EU treaties (the paradox I discussed in a Finnish entry).
Those interested can see the press conference of prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Barroso through the presidency pages, which offer the presidency programme in four languages (English here).
The home affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmström blogged briefly about her discussions in Copenhagen (in Swedish here and English translation here). She has just become active on Twitter: @MalmstromEU.
The European Parliament published short comments from the Danish MEPs Bendt Bendtsen (EPP),
Dan Jørgensen (S&D), Morten Løkkegaard (ALDE), Margrete Auken (Greens) and Anne Rosbach (ECR), as well as Morten Messerschmidt (EFD) who only answered the second question, about the greatest challenge for the EU as a whole and for the Danish presidency.
According to set patterns, the European Parliament is going to hear and debate the Danish priorities at the first 2012 plenary session in Strasbourg next week.
For people interested on what happens at Council level, the agenda shows the high level events during the next two weeks.
Presidency communication
The communication expert Michael Malherbe saw the invitation of the euroblogger Jon Worth to participate in the press tour as a step towards recognition of bloggers. He also discussed how Denmark profiled itself as a low-cost presidency and made interesting comparisons between how the new and seven previous Council presidencies positioned themselves.
A number of observers (I included) have remarked on the tap water presidency, where the government of Denmark created a symbol for both economic and ecological thinking by announcing that it would replace bottled water with tap water at the meetings it chairs. One of those to notice was EUobserver.
Georgi Gotev saw the less flamboyant and more frugal Danish style as a message to president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Media
Here is an assortment of articles in EU media, including euroblogs.
Encarna Hernández, on Más Europa, emphasised the green agenda of the Danish presidency in a pedagocical blog post where she presented the essentials of the four priorities. She also discussed the Maastricht Treaty and the resulting Danish opt-outs (in Spanish).
Recent developments in European consumer law presented the Danish programme priorities.
Gli Euros (the Italian version of The Euros) saw the Danish programme as ambitious and farsighted, in the short article: Danesi in cattedra.
Contributors.ro discussed the background and the aims of the Danish presidency, but also mentioned Romanian interests and finally tried to assess the chances for a small country during the severe crisis (in Romanian).
The defence blog Bruxelles2 reported that Denmark intends to scrap its defence opt-out and to reduce its opt-out concerning justice and home affairs (JHA) to an opt-in. The other French defence blog EGEA took this as its starting point for a short discussion about Denmark in Europe.
Bruxelles2 has also discussed Denmark's desire to strengthen the international influence of the European Union in international affairs, as well as the loss of 27 consular service points managed by other EU countries (due to the security policies of the previous government).
Green hiccup
Quite a few observers noted the uncannily timed layoffs announced by the Danish wind power company Vestas during the launch of the green presidency.
The FT Brussels blog commented on an awkward start, EurActiv spoke of sidewinds blowing the Danish presidency off course and Europaportalen.se noted the disappearance of green jobs.
***
Hopefully these examples help to give you some indications of politics and policies during the Danish presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Ralf Grahn
In the first part I limited my references to the blogs of Worth, the Copenhagen British Embassy and myself, but here I am going to widen the scope with regard to the Danish presidency.
EU Council presidency
Commission and official
Officially the presidency was kicked off by festivities in the host country, where the European Commission met the government in customary fashion to discuss the priorities for the next six months. Commission president José Manuel Barroso issued a press statement where he emphasised fiscal consolidation, growth reforms such as in the single market and the next long term budget (Multiannual Financial Framework).
Barroso did not volunteer a single word on the fascinating Danish paradox between four priorities and four opt-outs from the EU treaties (the paradox I discussed in a Finnish entry).
Those interested can see the press conference of prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Barroso through the presidency pages, which offer the presidency programme in four languages (English here).
The home affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmström blogged briefly about her discussions in Copenhagen (in Swedish here and English translation here). She has just become active on Twitter: @MalmstromEU.
The European Parliament published short comments from the Danish MEPs Bendt Bendtsen (EPP),
Dan Jørgensen (S&D), Morten Løkkegaard (ALDE), Margrete Auken (Greens) and Anne Rosbach (ECR), as well as Morten Messerschmidt (EFD) who only answered the second question, about the greatest challenge for the EU as a whole and for the Danish presidency.
According to set patterns, the European Parliament is going to hear and debate the Danish priorities at the first 2012 plenary session in Strasbourg next week.
For people interested on what happens at Council level, the agenda shows the high level events during the next two weeks.
Presidency communication
The communication expert Michael Malherbe saw the invitation of the euroblogger Jon Worth to participate in the press tour as a step towards recognition of bloggers. He also discussed how Denmark profiled itself as a low-cost presidency and made interesting comparisons between how the new and seven previous Council presidencies positioned themselves.
A number of observers (I included) have remarked on the tap water presidency, where the government of Denmark created a symbol for both economic and ecological thinking by announcing that it would replace bottled water with tap water at the meetings it chairs. One of those to notice was EUobserver.
Georgi Gotev saw the less flamboyant and more frugal Danish style as a message to president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Media
Here is an assortment of articles in EU media, including euroblogs.
Encarna Hernández, on Más Europa, emphasised the green agenda of the Danish presidency in a pedagocical blog post where she presented the essentials of the four priorities. She also discussed the Maastricht Treaty and the resulting Danish opt-outs (in Spanish).
Recent developments in European consumer law presented the Danish programme priorities.
Gli Euros (the Italian version of The Euros) saw the Danish programme as ambitious and farsighted, in the short article: Danesi in cattedra.
Contributors.ro discussed the background and the aims of the Danish presidency, but also mentioned Romanian interests and finally tried to assess the chances for a small country during the severe crisis (in Romanian).
The defence blog Bruxelles2 reported that Denmark intends to scrap its defence opt-out and to reduce its opt-out concerning justice and home affairs (JHA) to an opt-in. The other French defence blog EGEA took this as its starting point for a short discussion about Denmark in Europe.
Bruxelles2 has also discussed Denmark's desire to strengthen the international influence of the European Union in international affairs, as well as the loss of 27 consular service points managed by other EU countries (due to the security policies of the previous government).
Green hiccup
Quite a few observers noted the uncannily timed layoffs announced by the Danish wind power company Vestas during the launch of the green presidency.
The FT Brussels blog commented on an awkward start, EurActiv spoke of sidewinds blowing the Danish presidency off course and Europaportalen.se noted the disappearance of green jobs.
***
Hopefully these examples help to give you some indications of politics and policies during the Danish presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Ralf Grahn
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
EU social media and online public space
What if the European public sphere owes its existence to social media, asks Michael Malherbe (Décrypter la communciation européenne blog), continuing the interesting presentation by Mathew Lowry on the EU online public space (although reading a Prezi presentation can be a pretty hallucinating experience).
Comments
There is an online European public sphere, available through social media such as Bloggingportal.eu, Twitter and Facebook.
There are still great opportunities ahead, building bridges within groups with common interests and between national discussions and the ”Brussels bubble”.
Some EU institutions and politicians, as well as civil society groups and business associations have joined social media sites in order to narrowcast their messages, but few of them have advanced to the level of engagement and sharing (with the exception of some frontline individuals within these behemots).
Hordes of academics and teachers, as well as officials in EU institutions and agencies, or engaged in EU co-funded projects at national level are still surprisingly uncommunicative.
Language barriers are an obstacle to cross-border communication, but active and educated Europeans are often able to understand one or more languages in addition to their own. Some of them can build bridges between different language communities.
Social and other media
Malherbe and Lowry did not ponder media in general that much, but it would be well worth a separate discussion.
The EU online public space (Lowry) is broader than its social media sub-group. Malherbe seemed to reject the notion of traditional pan-EU media, perhaps rightly so if we look at the mass market level, but what about the ”movers and shakers”?
Much material from the EU institutions (primary sources) and mainstream media content is available online.
Renowned media offer both traditional editorial material online and social media content across borders, blurring the lines between the two.
Call them ”elite” if you will, but European political and business leaders are consumers of the same sources for news and opinion, de facto promoting the free movement of ideas.
It may hurt linguistic sensitivities, but many of these sources and publications operate in English (partially or wholly): The Financial Times, The Economist, WSJ Europe, BBC, DW-World, Spiegel Online (International), France24, Euronews, EUobserver, EurActiv, Presseurop, EUbusiness etc.
How does today differ from the Enlightenment with regard to the diffusion of ideas?
Ralf Grahn
Comments
There is an online European public sphere, available through social media such as Bloggingportal.eu, Twitter and Facebook.
There are still great opportunities ahead, building bridges within groups with common interests and between national discussions and the ”Brussels bubble”.
Some EU institutions and politicians, as well as civil society groups and business associations have joined social media sites in order to narrowcast their messages, but few of them have advanced to the level of engagement and sharing (with the exception of some frontline individuals within these behemots).
Hordes of academics and teachers, as well as officials in EU institutions and agencies, or engaged in EU co-funded projects at national level are still surprisingly uncommunicative.
Language barriers are an obstacle to cross-border communication, but active and educated Europeans are often able to understand one or more languages in addition to their own. Some of them can build bridges between different language communities.
Social and other media
Malherbe and Lowry did not ponder media in general that much, but it would be well worth a separate discussion.
The EU online public space (Lowry) is broader than its social media sub-group. Malherbe seemed to reject the notion of traditional pan-EU media, perhaps rightly so if we look at the mass market level, but what about the ”movers and shakers”?
Much material from the EU institutions (primary sources) and mainstream media content is available online.
Renowned media offer both traditional editorial material online and social media content across borders, blurring the lines between the two.
Call them ”elite” if you will, but European political and business leaders are consumers of the same sources for news and opinion, de facto promoting the free movement of ideas.
It may hurt linguistic sensitivities, but many of these sources and publications operate in English (partially or wholly): The Financial Times, The Economist, WSJ Europe, BBC, DW-World, Spiegel Online (International), France24, Euronews, EUobserver, EurActiv, Presseurop, EUbusiness etc.
How does today differ from the Enlightenment with regard to the diffusion of ideas?
Ralf Grahn
Friday, 2 December 2011
Media reports: Sarkozy's euro speech in Toulon
I already tried to present the essentials of the speech by the French president Nicolas Sarkozy, plus a few comments.
President Sarkozy's speech in Toulon is frontpage news in Europe, but what do the media reports emphasise?
The Financial Times sees the emerging shape of a last-ditch eurozone deal.
The New York Times runs through the views of the different proponents.
Reuters underlines Sarkozy's view that governments must keep control of the European Union, as well as the looming presidential election in five months.
The Guardian thinks that Sarkozy's focus appeared to be on a new deal enabling the leaders of the 17 eurozone countries to strike political bargains among themselves.
The Wall Street Journal brings up the internal challenge from the right-wing populist leader Marine Le Pen.
The BBC highlights the Franco-German ties central to Sarkozy's thinking.
EUobserver draws attention to Sarkozy's intergovernmental credo.
Financial Times Deutschland leads with an intergovernmental European Monetary Fund.
Ralf Grahn
President Sarkozy's speech in Toulon is frontpage news in Europe, but what do the media reports emphasise?
The Financial Times sees the emerging shape of a last-ditch eurozone deal.
The New York Times runs through the views of the different proponents.
Reuters underlines Sarkozy's view that governments must keep control of the European Union, as well as the looming presidential election in five months.
The Guardian thinks that Sarkozy's focus appeared to be on a new deal enabling the leaders of the 17 eurozone countries to strike political bargains among themselves.
The Wall Street Journal brings up the internal challenge from the right-wing populist leader Marine Le Pen.
The BBC highlights the Franco-German ties central to Sarkozy's thinking.
EUobserver draws attention to Sarkozy's intergovernmental credo.
Financial Times Deutschland leads with an intergovernmental European Monetary Fund.
Ralf Grahn
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Kosmopolito's Völkischer Beobachter School of Journalism (Updated x 5)
Always remember a (not too) subtle reference to the war.
A war trophy in full swing, the Völkischer Beobachter School of Journalism is alive and well on a remote island off Europe. Only fair, if the Americans got Dr. Strangelove.
Kosmopolito's guide to 'lazy' journalism of anti-EU propaganda (in German, in Italian, in French) struck a nerve with European readers.
Update 22 November 2011: Now in Romanian.
Second update 22 November 2011: A shortened version in Norwegian.
Third update, 24 November 2011: The Spanish version of Kosmopolito's guide.
Fourth update, 25 November 2011: Now you can read Kosmopolito's guide in Dutch.
Fifth update, 28 November 2011: When you read Kosmopolito's guide to lazy EU journalism, please compare with the real life scrutiny by Tabloid Watch of the allegations in a Daily Express on the toxic campaign trail.
Ralf Grahn
A war trophy in full swing, the Völkischer Beobachter School of Journalism is alive and well on a remote island off Europe. Only fair, if the Americans got Dr. Strangelove.
Kosmopolito's guide to 'lazy' journalism of anti-EU propaganda (in German, in Italian, in French) struck a nerve with European readers.
Update 22 November 2011: Now in Romanian.
Second update 22 November 2011: A shortened version in Norwegian.
Third update, 24 November 2011: The Spanish version of Kosmopolito's guide.
Fourth update, 25 November 2011: Now you can read Kosmopolito's guide in Dutch.
Fifth update, 28 November 2011: When you read Kosmopolito's guide to lazy EU journalism, please compare with the real life scrutiny by Tabloid Watch of the allegations in a Daily Express on the toxic campaign trail.
Ralf Grahn
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Eurozone crisis: laughing or crying?
Who is leading the fight against the crisis in the eurozone? Who is at the root of the problems? The so called market forces, the individual EU member states, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy who have claimed leadership, the Frankfurt group, the Euro Group (17) and chairman Jean-Claude Juncker, the euro summits (17) and president Herman Van Rompuy, the Ecofin Council (all 27 member states) and the Council presidency (Poland), the European Council (27) and president Herman Van Rompuy, the European Central Bank and president Mario Draghi, the European Commission through president José Manuel Barroso and Ecfin commissioner Olli Rehn, the G20 and its members, or the IMF?
Despite Bruno Waterfield's - @BrunoBrussels on Twitter – sober explanation about the euro 'deviants' being the ten euro outsiders, I could not resist the temptation to quip:
Perhaps laughter is the best antidote to crying, so I am grateful to Anne Christensen - @AnneCbxl – for this tweet:
The tweet links to an Olympic YouTube video 'explaining' the crisis in Greece:
Gods and Greek economy
@TheEconomist offered KAL's inspired cartoon on Greece: It's just that there are so many strings attached.
***
A little easier, now, to continue listening to the cacophony (Greek origins) of official voices.
Ralf Grahn
Despite Bruno Waterfield's - @BrunoBrussels on Twitter – sober explanation about the euro 'deviants' being the ten euro outsiders, I could not resist the temptation to quip:
So kinky currencies on one hand, S&M #euro on the other?
Perhaps laughter is the best antidote to crying, so I am grateful to Anne Christensen - @AnneCbxl – for this tweet:
A truly divine solution to the Greek debt crisis. Thanks to Kostas for making us smile!
The tweet links to an Olympic YouTube video 'explaining' the crisis in Greece:
Gods and Greek economy
@TheEconomist offered KAL's inspired cartoon on Greece: It's just that there are so many strings attached.
***
A little easier, now, to continue listening to the cacophony (Greek origins) of official voices.
Ralf Grahn
EU Council communications: quick response
The informal Euro Group did not make it to the front page Council news by Tuesday morning, but the press staff quickly published two visible items in prime place, at the top. The text leads you to a summary with useful links (although it could have linked to Regling's EFSF document as well), and the video recording offers you a short version of the press conference.
I salute the swift and constructive response(s) from the Council staff. Dear reader, If you have ideas for improvement, you can write a comment to the blog post.
Ralf Grahn
I salute the swift and constructive response(s) from the Council staff. Dear reader, If you have ideas for improvement, you can write a comment to the blog post.
Ralf Grahn
Sunday, 10 April 2011
European Council blogging: Part Two (10042011)
Previous round-up of my blog entries was published in Part One, with articles posted 25 and 26 March 2011.
The blog posts appear on four blogs and in three languages: on Grahnlaw (EN), Grahnblawg (SV), Eurooppaoikeus (FI) and Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (EN, FI, SV).
Part Two takes us from 27 to 29 March 2011.
European Council practices and in Euroblogs
After the previous batch followed a Swedish rhapsody, although most documents referenced can be found in other languages, blog posts by others are in the original language and there is always the fall-back option to use Google translation.
Observations about the lack of transparency were followed by a peek at translation issues and the available materials, followed by three round-ups of Euroblog posts in different languages about the European Council issues with regard to economic policies.
Grahnblawg (in Swedish): Europeiska rådets slutsatser: Konsensus och ogenomskinlighet (27 March 2011)
Grahnblawg (in Swedish): Europeiska rådet: Status och slutsatser på 23 språk (27 March 2011)
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (in Swedish): Europeiska rådet om ekonomin i Europabloggar I (28 March 2011)
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (in Swedish): Europeiska rådet om ekonomin i Europabloggar II (28 March 2011)
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (in Swedish): Europeiska rådet om ekonomin i Europabloggar III (28 March 2011)
Euro Plus Pact
We looked at media reports and reactions to the 24 and 25 March 2011 European Council adoption of the Euro Plus Pact, which joins the 17 eurozone countries with Bulgaria, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania, leaving only the Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden and the United Kingdom outside.
Grahnlaw: Euro Plus Pact in the media I (29 March 2011)
Grahnlaw: Euro Plus Pact in the media II (29 March 2011)
Ralf Grahn
P.S. The European Tribune offers both a daily review of international media and a community which discusses interesting topics concerning the EU, economics, finance etc. Lurk or join.
The blog posts appear on four blogs and in three languages: on Grahnlaw (EN), Grahnblawg (SV), Eurooppaoikeus (FI) and Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (EN, FI, SV).
Part Two takes us from 27 to 29 March 2011.
European Council practices and in Euroblogs
After the previous batch followed a Swedish rhapsody, although most documents referenced can be found in other languages, blog posts by others are in the original language and there is always the fall-back option to use Google translation.
Observations about the lack of transparency were followed by a peek at translation issues and the available materials, followed by three round-ups of Euroblog posts in different languages about the European Council issues with regard to economic policies.
Grahnblawg (in Swedish): Europeiska rådets slutsatser: Konsensus och ogenomskinlighet (27 March 2011)
Grahnblawg (in Swedish): Europeiska rådet: Status och slutsatser på 23 språk (27 March 2011)
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (in Swedish): Europeiska rådet om ekonomin i Europabloggar I (28 March 2011)
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (in Swedish): Europeiska rådet om ekonomin i Europabloggar II (28 March 2011)
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (in Swedish): Europeiska rådet om ekonomin i Europabloggar III (28 March 2011)
Euro Plus Pact
We looked at media reports and reactions to the 24 and 25 March 2011 European Council adoption of the Euro Plus Pact, which joins the 17 eurozone countries with Bulgaria, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania, leaving only the Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden and the United Kingdom outside.
Grahnlaw: Euro Plus Pact in the media I (29 March 2011)
Grahnlaw: Euro Plus Pact in the media II (29 March 2011)
Ralf Grahn
P.S. The European Tribune offers both a daily review of international media and a community which discusses interesting topics concerning the EU, economics, finance etc. Lurk or join.
European Council blogging: Part One (10042011)
My latest collection of blog posts was presented on Grahnlaw (in English) a little more than two weeks ago: European Council blogging (24032011).
It is easier to find the relevant subject, if I offer myself and others an overview of the later blog entries on the economic policy theme at the spring European Council.
The blog posts appear on four blogs and in three languages: on Grahnlaw (EN), Grahnblawg (SV), Eurooppaoikeus (FI) and Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (EN, FI, SV).
Tripartite Social Summit
After an earlier introduction, a few blog entries presented the public statements of the participants in the Tripartite Social Summit, the social partners (employers, employees and EU institutions).
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Tripartite Social Summit: Unions and PES (25 March 2011)
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Reform camp leaders ahead of Tripartite Social Summit and European Council (25 March 2011)
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Tripartite Social Summit and European Council: EU views (25 March 2011)
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Tripartite Social Summit and European Council: Business views (25 March 2011)
Spring summit in a nutshell
After the spring European Council, I looked at the available links and materials, as well as the brief economic messages from the European leaders.
Grahnlaw: Spring European Council summary (26 March 2011)
Ralf Grahn
P.S. After an interesting ranking of top European media in French on Europe 27etc, ”Jamel de L'or” returned with a useful top ten of the European affairs media to follow in English (plus ten others, although the wrong link was offered for Grahnlaw).
It is easier to find the relevant subject, if I offer myself and others an overview of the later blog entries on the economic policy theme at the spring European Council.
The blog posts appear on four blogs and in three languages: on Grahnlaw (EN), Grahnblawg (SV), Eurooppaoikeus (FI) and Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (EN, FI, SV).
Tripartite Social Summit
After an earlier introduction, a few blog entries presented the public statements of the participants in the Tripartite Social Summit, the social partners (employers, employees and EU institutions).
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Tripartite Social Summit: Unions and PES (25 March 2011)
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Reform camp leaders ahead of Tripartite Social Summit and European Council (25 March 2011)
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Tripartite Social Summit and European Council: EU views (25 March 2011)
Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Tripartite Social Summit and European Council: Business views (25 March 2011)
Spring summit in a nutshell
After the spring European Council, I looked at the available links and materials, as well as the brief economic messages from the European leaders.
Grahnlaw: Spring European Council summary (26 March 2011)
Ralf Grahn
P.S. After an interesting ranking of top European media in French on Europe 27etc, ”Jamel de L'or” returned with a useful top ten of the European affairs media to follow in English (plus ten others, although the wrong link was offered for Grahnlaw).
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
European Stability Mechanism (ESM) in media
After 'Commenting on European Council: Economic policy', we turn to the permanent bailout system adopted by the spring summit 24 and 25 March 2011.
European Stability Mechanism (ESM)
The new eurozone stability mechanism ESM got a mixed reception in Germany, Reuters Detuschland tells us: Lob und Tadel in Deutschland für Euro-Paket (25 March 2011).
With regard to last minute changes to the new European Stability Mechanism, intended to protect the euro currency from speculation beginning in 2013, as well as other issues, Spiegel Online International presented both the German reasons and European irritation: European Leaders Agree to Euro Rescue Program (25 March 2011).
EurActiv reported on the negotiations leading to the EU's permanent bail-out fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM): EU leaders thrash out deal on permanent euro shield (latest update 28 March 2011)
According to Irwin Stelzer in The Wall Street Journal, ”the euro-zone summiteers seem to have concluded that if at first you don't succeed, continue making the same mistake.” The basic problem is the lack of competitiveness of the southern-tier countries; in: New ESM Won't Solve Euro-zone Woes (28 March 2011).
Adopting the Euro Plus Pact may have been the easy part, implementing it and especially achieving growth are the real tests. An article in the English section of Presseurop about the Europact discusses reactions in different Central European countries: What's in it for Eastern Europe? (28 March 2011).
According to Charles Forelle on the WSJ Real Time Brussels blog, Standard & Poor's downgraded credit ratings reflect nervousness about the new European Stability Mechanism: Greece, Portugal Cut. Thanks ESM! (29 March 2011).
The French Toute l'Europe ran its own European press review yesterday, including links to news and opinion in five languages: Revue de presse : Un pacte, oui mais pour qui ? (29 March 2011).
Ralf Grahn
P.S. On the collective quality blog Europe – 27 etc ”Jamel de L'or” presents a selection of ten ”must read” media in French on European affairs: Médias : Comment s'informer, en français, sur l'actualité européenne ? Highly recommended.
European Stability Mechanism (ESM)
The new eurozone stability mechanism ESM got a mixed reception in Germany, Reuters Detuschland tells us: Lob und Tadel in Deutschland für Euro-Paket (25 March 2011).
With regard to last minute changes to the new European Stability Mechanism, intended to protect the euro currency from speculation beginning in 2013, as well as other issues, Spiegel Online International presented both the German reasons and European irritation: European Leaders Agree to Euro Rescue Program (25 March 2011).
EurActiv reported on the negotiations leading to the EU's permanent bail-out fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM): EU leaders thrash out deal on permanent euro shield (latest update 28 March 2011)
According to Irwin Stelzer in The Wall Street Journal, ”the euro-zone summiteers seem to have concluded that if at first you don't succeed, continue making the same mistake.” The basic problem is the lack of competitiveness of the southern-tier countries; in: New ESM Won't Solve Euro-zone Woes (28 March 2011).
Adopting the Euro Plus Pact may have been the easy part, implementing it and especially achieving growth are the real tests. An article in the English section of Presseurop about the Europact discusses reactions in different Central European countries: What's in it for Eastern Europe? (28 March 2011).
According to Charles Forelle on the WSJ Real Time Brussels blog, Standard & Poor's downgraded credit ratings reflect nervousness about the new European Stability Mechanism: Greece, Portugal Cut. Thanks ESM! (29 March 2011).
The French Toute l'Europe ran its own European press review yesterday, including links to news and opinion in five languages: Revue de presse : Un pacte, oui mais pour qui ? (29 March 2011).
Ralf Grahn
P.S. On the collective quality blog Europe – 27 etc ”Jamel de L'or” presents a selection of ten ”must read” media in French on European affairs: Médias : Comment s'informer, en français, sur l'actualité européenne ? Highly recommended.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Euro Plus Pact in the media II
We continue our European media round-up with the second part concerning the Euro Plus Pact, confirmed by the spring European Council 24 to 25 March 2011.
The political Left is in opposition in much of Europe, and more apt to remember the stimulus part of Keynesian thinking, so we let the blog of Patrick Le Hyaric represent much Left and labour union rhetoric (in French): Pacte pour l'euro, un pacte diabolique (23 March 2011).
Tough language, but vague at the edges, was how RTBF.be described the Euro Plus Pact: Europe: le ”pacte pour l'euro plus”, nouvelle politique de compétitivité aux contours flous (25 March 2011)
Alberto Tuzi discusses the Euro Plus Pact and other economic policy decisions on the Tor Vergata blog (in Italian): Non solo politica al Consiglio europeo di primavera:nouve importanti decisioni sulla governance economica (28 March 2011).
Six non-eurozone countries, Poland, Bulgaria, Denmark, Romania, Lithuania and Latvia are joining the Europact, now called the Euro Plus Pact. This leaves just four EU member states outside: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The interesting EurActiv news report included reasons expressed by country leaders, but the article mistakenly said that Sweden is under no legal obligation to join the eurozone: 'Euro-plus pact' divides non-eurozone members (latest update 28 March 2011).
EUobserver tells us that the annual Euro Plus Pact summits will take place as the same time as the (economic) spring summits of the European Council. The eurozone summit will take place without the four outsiders (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden and the United Kingdom): Annual euro-pact summits will see refuseniks asked to leave the room (29 March 2011).
Sweden remains outside the Euro Plus Pact, but the defence of the nation state has not changed much between the Swedish political leaders Ingvar Carlsson and Fredirk Reinfeldt, twenty years apart. Ylva Nilsson writes on EU-merabloggen (in Swedish): Euro plus... minus Sverige (25 March 2011).
Ralf Grahn
The political Left is in opposition in much of Europe, and more apt to remember the stimulus part of Keynesian thinking, so we let the blog of Patrick Le Hyaric represent much Left and labour union rhetoric (in French): Pacte pour l'euro, un pacte diabolique (23 March 2011).
Tough language, but vague at the edges, was how RTBF.be described the Euro Plus Pact: Europe: le ”pacte pour l'euro plus”, nouvelle politique de compétitivité aux contours flous (25 March 2011)
Alberto Tuzi discusses the Euro Plus Pact and other economic policy decisions on the Tor Vergata blog (in Italian): Non solo politica al Consiglio europeo di primavera:nouve importanti decisioni sulla governance economica (28 March 2011).
Six non-eurozone countries, Poland, Bulgaria, Denmark, Romania, Lithuania and Latvia are joining the Europact, now called the Euro Plus Pact. This leaves just four EU member states outside: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The interesting EurActiv news report included reasons expressed by country leaders, but the article mistakenly said that Sweden is under no legal obligation to join the eurozone: 'Euro-plus pact' divides non-eurozone members (latest update 28 March 2011).
EUobserver tells us that the annual Euro Plus Pact summits will take place as the same time as the (economic) spring summits of the European Council. The eurozone summit will take place without the four outsiders (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden and the United Kingdom): Annual euro-pact summits will see refuseniks asked to leave the room (29 March 2011).
Sweden remains outside the Euro Plus Pact, but the defence of the nation state has not changed much between the Swedish political leaders Ingvar Carlsson and Fredirk Reinfeldt, twenty years apart. Ylva Nilsson writes on EU-merabloggen (in Swedish): Euro plus... minus Sverige (25 March 2011).
Ralf Grahn
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Help EPP group leader Joseph Daul defend media freedom
The leader of the European People's Party group in the European Parliament had this to say on Facebook with regard to fundamental rights of EU citizens, especially the Hungarian media law:
Selective memory
Despite the conspicuous lack of support for the Commission, with regard to the Roma issue, Daul forgot to mention that the European Commission dropped the threat of infringement procedures after the French government submitted detailed documentation to the Commission, including draft legislative measures and a credible calendar for putting the procedural safeguards required under the EU's Free Movement Directive into French legislation by early 2011. When the demolition instruction to target Roma camps had leaked, the government had hastened to change it. France is still under Commission scrutiny.
Party political arguments - whose?
Scores of media reports and blog posts about the contents of the Hungarian gag law have seemed unequivocal enough to allow for clear condemnation long before now.
How much is still unclear after an article such as Slugger O'Toole ”Draconian press laws in the EU's new Presidency” (1 January 2011)?
Is it possible, in good faith, to avoid the impression that Daul is procrastinating or worse?
I feel offended when Daul equates criticism of the Hungarian censorship law with party political schemes to discredit an EPP government. I try to base my evaluation of the actions of the EU institutions and political actors on principles, primarily the interests of the citizens of the EU.
If various Europarties come out differently, it is not necessarily my fault.
I hope that I could see the EPP as an active protagonist for free speech, but I wonder if Daul's argument can be seen to be exempt from party political bias and cronyism. (Various Hungarian government representatives have dismissed criticism as party politically motivated.)
For me the European Convention on Human Rigths (ECHR), the founding values of the European Union (Article 2 TEU), the rights, freedoms and principles set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rigths of the European Union (Article 6 TEU) and the process to determine a serious breach of the founding values (Article 7 TEU) are the cornerstones of European integration and for the citizens of the European Union.
I would like to see the biggest Europarty, the EPP, taking the greatest responsibility for our basic values.
Dear readers, even if we are aware of the troubled history of the rule of law in France regarding freedom from political interference, please enlighten EPP group leader Joseph Daul about founding principles, non-discrimination and fundamental rights, as if the EU was intended to serve its citizens first.
Non-discrimination
Since the Treaty of Rome (1957), any discrimination on grounds of nationality is prohibited (now Article 18 TFEU).
Time enough for the basic principle of non-discrimination to sink in, methinks.
The Hungarian government of Viktor Orban is under fire for a number of controversial policies, including Commission scrutiny for alleged discrimination. According to the Wall Street Journal, thirteen large companies from France (Daul's country of origin, a founding member of the EEC), Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic complained to the EU Commission, saying Hungary is targeting "select sectors and foreign companies in particular, to balance the state budget."
You can comment on this blog, tweet @JosephDaul or comment on Daul's new year wishes on Facebook for 2011 to become a better year.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. The Swedish MEP Gunnar Hökmark has shown that high profile EPP members can take a principled approach, as he has done in his blog posts ”Det blev ett nytt år – om Ungern, Estland och Sarkozy” with regard to the media law and ”Dåliga signaler från EU:s ordförandeland” concerning discrimination. Respect.
Let's see what the Commission says after it has examined the law. You remember the Roma case ? The Commission concluded that there was no breach of Eau law. But very few reported about that decision. So if this law contains dispositions contrary to EU law or international conventions, it will be changed. Let's see. But don't be naive: it is not purely because of their preoccupation for the rights of the media that socialists, liberals and greens atrack an EPP government.
Selective memory
Despite the conspicuous lack of support for the Commission, with regard to the Roma issue, Daul forgot to mention that the European Commission dropped the threat of infringement procedures after the French government submitted detailed documentation to the Commission, including draft legislative measures and a credible calendar for putting the procedural safeguards required under the EU's Free Movement Directive into French legislation by early 2011. When the demolition instruction to target Roma camps had leaked, the government had hastened to change it. France is still under Commission scrutiny.
Party political arguments - whose?
Scores of media reports and blog posts about the contents of the Hungarian gag law have seemed unequivocal enough to allow for clear condemnation long before now.
How much is still unclear after an article such as Slugger O'Toole ”Draconian press laws in the EU's new Presidency” (1 January 2011)?
Is it possible, in good faith, to avoid the impression that Daul is procrastinating or worse?
I feel offended when Daul equates criticism of the Hungarian censorship law with party political schemes to discredit an EPP government. I try to base my evaluation of the actions of the EU institutions and political actors on principles, primarily the interests of the citizens of the EU.
If various Europarties come out differently, it is not necessarily my fault.
I hope that I could see the EPP as an active protagonist for free speech, but I wonder if Daul's argument can be seen to be exempt from party political bias and cronyism. (Various Hungarian government representatives have dismissed criticism as party politically motivated.)
For me the European Convention on Human Rigths (ECHR), the founding values of the European Union (Article 2 TEU), the rights, freedoms and principles set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rigths of the European Union (Article 6 TEU) and the process to determine a serious breach of the founding values (Article 7 TEU) are the cornerstones of European integration and for the citizens of the European Union.
I would like to see the biggest Europarty, the EPP, taking the greatest responsibility for our basic values.
Dear readers, even if we are aware of the troubled history of the rule of law in France regarding freedom from political interference, please enlighten EPP group leader Joseph Daul about founding principles, non-discrimination and fundamental rights, as if the EU was intended to serve its citizens first.
Non-discrimination
Since the Treaty of Rome (1957), any discrimination on grounds of nationality is prohibited (now Article 18 TFEU).
Time enough for the basic principle of non-discrimination to sink in, methinks.
The Hungarian government of Viktor Orban is under fire for a number of controversial policies, including Commission scrutiny for alleged discrimination. According to the Wall Street Journal, thirteen large companies from France (Daul's country of origin, a founding member of the EEC), Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic complained to the EU Commission, saying Hungary is targeting "select sectors and foreign companies in particular, to balance the state budget."
You can comment on this blog, tweet @JosephDaul or comment on Daul's new year wishes on Facebook for 2011 to become a better year.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. The Swedish MEP Gunnar Hökmark has shown that high profile EPP members can take a principled approach, as he has done in his blog posts ”Det blev ett nytt år – om Ungern, Estland och Sarkozy” with regard to the media law and ”Dåliga signaler från EU:s ordförandeland” concerning discrimination. Respect.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
A busy week in the European Union: European Council only part of it
It was a busy week in the European Union. The heads of state or government were in the limelight, because the summits or meetings of the institution called the European Council are at the centre of media attention, although a fair amount of the reporting in national media has been through the prism of domestic politics. (Nowhere is this clearer than in the United Kingdom, with perpetual political and media pressure to leave no veto unused.)
It might be a good idea to let the dust settle and to look at what we have at the European level. The customary mainstream documents are the conclusions and the explanation given by the president:
European Council 28-29 October 2010 conclusions (EUCO 25/10)
Remarks by Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, at the press conference following the meeting of Heads of State or Government (Brussels, 29 October 2010 PCE 251/10)
Where is the beef?
The general endorsement of the Task force on economic governance sets a few signposts on the road forward, but the summary on first two pages of the European Council conclusions relies heavily on the sources, the Task force report, a helpful factsheet and the proposals made by the European Commission:
Strengthening economic governance in the EU – Report of the Task force to the European Council (21 October 2010; 17 pages)
Factsheet on the surveillance procedures in the EU (21 October 2010; 3 pages)
Package of Commission proposals on EU economic governance [DG Ecfin 29 September 2010]
The official conclusions from the European Council are, as we can see, only the tip of the iceberg: two pages above the surface, but a reading marathon below.
Mundane tasks
We can see the “tip of the iceberg” from another angle as well. Much of what the European Union does consists of important but mundane tasks, bundled under ‘union policies and internal actions’ in Part Three of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
While the summit stole the media limelight, last week the Commission churned out a number of relevant documents. These underreported reports and proposals concerned, inter alia, the Single Market Act, EU citizenship, a new industrial policy and the Commission Work Programme for 2011 (CWP 2011).
Ralf Grahn
P.S. There is a new kid (in a politico-zoological sense as well) on the French block of the multilingual Euroblog aggregator Bloggingportal.eu (which has grown to 687 blogs related to European affairs). The blog or web magazine Europe – 27etc has made its appearance. The slogan of the blog collective is: “Parce que l’Europe n’est pas une affaire étrangère”. There are six regular contributors (“les Cabris de l’Europe”, in a historic reference to the nationalist president de Gaulle; they write under pseudonyms, to guarantee freedom of expression), and nineteen guest writers have already signed up. Impressive start!
It might be a good idea to let the dust settle and to look at what we have at the European level. The customary mainstream documents are the conclusions and the explanation given by the president:
European Council 28-29 October 2010 conclusions (EUCO 25/10)
Remarks by Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, at the press conference following the meeting of Heads of State or Government (Brussels, 29 October 2010 PCE 251/10)
Where is the beef?
The general endorsement of the Task force on economic governance sets a few signposts on the road forward, but the summary on first two pages of the European Council conclusions relies heavily on the sources, the Task force report, a helpful factsheet and the proposals made by the European Commission:
Strengthening economic governance in the EU – Report of the Task force to the European Council (21 October 2010; 17 pages)
Factsheet on the surveillance procedures in the EU (21 October 2010; 3 pages)
Package of Commission proposals on EU economic governance [DG Ecfin 29 September 2010]
The official conclusions from the European Council are, as we can see, only the tip of the iceberg: two pages above the surface, but a reading marathon below.
Mundane tasks
We can see the “tip of the iceberg” from another angle as well. Much of what the European Union does consists of important but mundane tasks, bundled under ‘union policies and internal actions’ in Part Three of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
While the summit stole the media limelight, last week the Commission churned out a number of relevant documents. These underreported reports and proposals concerned, inter alia, the Single Market Act, EU citizenship, a new industrial policy and the Commission Work Programme for 2011 (CWP 2011).
Ralf Grahn
P.S. There is a new kid (in a politico-zoological sense as well) on the French block of the multilingual Euroblog aggregator Bloggingportal.eu (which has grown to 687 blogs related to European affairs). The blog or web magazine Europe – 27etc has made its appearance. The slogan of the blog collective is: “Parce que l’Europe n’est pas une affaire étrangère”. There are six regular contributors (“les Cabris de l’Europe”, in a historic reference to the nationalist president de Gaulle; they write under pseudonyms, to guarantee freedom of expression), and nineteen guest writers have already signed up. Impressive start!
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Mathew Lowry and Michael Malherbe improving Mediacafé?
The well intentioned Brussels event Mediacafé “Europe: no medium, no message?” on 18 October 2010 may actually become a better event, if the organisers and panellists take care to read and reflect on the blog post by Mathew Lowry and the comments: Oh, so it’s the media’s fault noone likes the EU … (15 October 2010).
Add a few salient points by Michael Malherbe on Se former à la communication européenne in: Que fait l’UE pour adapter sa communication à l’Internet mobile ? (13 October 2010).
A few more blog entries to peruse on both blogs, for those with the time and inclination, and some constructive thoughts might start to surface, possibly even a few with relevance for 501 million EU citizens, most of them mentally and geographically far from the “Brussels Bubble”.
It is never too late to start imagining a better life, but online media, social media, mobile media and professional journalism are all part of it, even with regard to communication by the EU institutions.
Ralf Grahn
Add a few salient points by Michael Malherbe on Se former à la communication européenne in: Que fait l’UE pour adapter sa communication à l’Internet mobile ? (13 October 2010).
A few more blog entries to peruse on both blogs, for those with the time and inclination, and some constructive thoughts might start to surface, possibly even a few with relevance for 501 million EU citizens, most of them mentally and geographically far from the “Brussels Bubble”.
It is never too late to start imagining a better life, but online media, social media, mobile media and professional journalism are all part of it, even with regard to communication by the EU institutions.
Ralf Grahn
Saturday, 18 September 2010
“Romagate” red card: Sarkozy
The French Nouvel Observateur published a wide European press review with, in the main, highly critical reactions to president Nicolas Sarkozy’s anti-Roma policies and EU summit outbursts.
Aggressive, outspoken and selective in his use of facts, Mr. Sarkozy deployed attack as the best form of defense against charges that French deportations of Roma breached European law, said Stephen Castle in The New York Times. Castle sees negative fallout for the Commission, as well as for Sarkozy, who managed to upset German chancellor Angela Merkel.
According to Ben Hall and Peggy Hollinger, writing for the Financial Times, some analysts and commentators say Sarkozy is looking more and more like Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi: a scandal-hit leader of diminished stature and a divisive populist with authoritarian leanings.
On Regards citoyens we can read the call by SOS Racisme, La Libération and the Règle du Jeu to sign a petition against the government’s plan to make it possible to deprive naturalised citizens of their French citizenship.
A selection of Euroblog posts on Erkan’s Field Diary bears the headline: Sarkozy’s France: A Land of Intolerance – Roma policy, Burqa ban, Le Monde scandal. A later collection is headlined: Arrogant Sarkozy attacks Barroso.
The Gulf Stream Blues asks: Is Sarkozy losing it?
As Max Stienbeis writes on Verfassungsblog: Nationalism endures everything, except being laughable (in German): Der kleine Nick und die Lächerlichkeit.
René Wadlow writes on The New Federalist: Anti-Roma Measures Backfire.
In the French presidential system, Sarkozy is the main responsible for government policy. After the “Romagate” leak of the instructions on anti-Roma action, his ministers were caught misrepresenting the facts. His foul was called by the Commission.This made Sarkozy vent his anger at the referee.
Two red card performances (for the price of one).
Ralf Grahn
Aggressive, outspoken and selective in his use of facts, Mr. Sarkozy deployed attack as the best form of defense against charges that French deportations of Roma breached European law, said Stephen Castle in The New York Times. Castle sees negative fallout for the Commission, as well as for Sarkozy, who managed to upset German chancellor Angela Merkel.
According to Ben Hall and Peggy Hollinger, writing for the Financial Times, some analysts and commentators say Sarkozy is looking more and more like Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi: a scandal-hit leader of diminished stature and a divisive populist with authoritarian leanings.
On Regards citoyens we can read the call by SOS Racisme, La Libération and the Règle du Jeu to sign a petition against the government’s plan to make it possible to deprive naturalised citizens of their French citizenship.
A selection of Euroblog posts on Erkan’s Field Diary bears the headline: Sarkozy’s France: A Land of Intolerance – Roma policy, Burqa ban, Le Monde scandal. A later collection is headlined: Arrogant Sarkozy attacks Barroso.
The Gulf Stream Blues asks: Is Sarkozy losing it?
As Max Stienbeis writes on Verfassungsblog: Nationalism endures everything, except being laughable (in German): Der kleine Nick und die Lächerlichkeit.
René Wadlow writes on The New Federalist: Anti-Roma Measures Backfire.
In the French presidential system, Sarkozy is the main responsible for government policy. After the “Romagate” leak of the instructions on anti-Roma action, his ministers were caught misrepresenting the facts. His foul was called by the Commission.This made Sarkozy vent his anger at the referee.
Two red card performances (for the price of one).
Ralf Grahn
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Barroso: The state of the Commission’s Work Programme
Yesterday The European Citizen called José Manuel Barroso’s “State of the Union” address The Commissarial Speech (8 September 2010).
According to Eurocentric:
Honor Mahony’s EUobserver blog post The speech (7 September 2010).
In my view, Eurocentric and Mahony clearly showed the conflict between a speech about the Commission's Work Programme (which it was) and a State of the Union address (which it wasn't, but was marketed as).
Underlining the 'special relationship' between the Commission and the European Parliament meant that Barroso directed the speech even more at the MEPs, who know pretty well what's coming up in their Committees anyway, and are fairly blasé.
This effectively excluded a speech to the citizens of the European Union, as well as themes, concerns and images they (we) relate to.
Eurocentric’s headline and post encapsulated this well.
For some strange reason, both Commission leadership (president Barroso) and EP leaders (president Jerzy Buzek) have wanted to market Barroso’s speech as an EU “State of the Union” address (a first), and the concept lies buried in an obscure point in an annex to the revised framework agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the Commission, soon to be approved and to enter into force.
However, essentially Barroso’s intervention was about the Commission’s Work Programme for 2011, which he presented in two parts: a letter to the Members of the European Parliament and in his speech to the EP plenary session.
Read them as such, and they begin to make sense.
But what should they call it, when some day one of the EU presidents decides to starts discussing with the citizens of the European Union?
A fireside chat?
Ralf Grahn
According to Eurocentric:
The speech itself actually wasn't that bad, if you dropped your preconceptions about the State of the Union imagery. As Honor Mahony pointed out, it was quite good as a work programme speech (particularly for a Barroso-speech).
Honor Mahony’s EUobserver blog post The speech (7 September 2010).
In my view, Eurocentric and Mahony clearly showed the conflict between a speech about the Commission's Work Programme (which it was) and a State of the Union address (which it wasn't, but was marketed as).
Underlining the 'special relationship' between the Commission and the European Parliament meant that Barroso directed the speech even more at the MEPs, who know pretty well what's coming up in their Committees anyway, and are fairly blasé.
This effectively excluded a speech to the citizens of the European Union, as well as themes, concerns and images they (we) relate to.
Eurocentric’s headline and post encapsulated this well.
For some strange reason, both Commission leadership (president Barroso) and EP leaders (president Jerzy Buzek) have wanted to market Barroso’s speech as an EU “State of the Union” address (a first), and the concept lies buried in an obscure point in an annex to the revised framework agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the Commission, soon to be approved and to enter into force.
However, essentially Barroso’s intervention was about the Commission’s Work Programme for 2011, which he presented in two parts: a letter to the Members of the European Parliament and in his speech to the EP plenary session.
Read them as such, and they begin to make sense.
But what should they call it, when some day one of the EU presidents decides to starts discussing with the citizens of the European Union?
A fireside chat?
Ralf Grahn
Sunday, 5 September 2010
What’s in a name? Barroso’s State of the Union address
What’s in a name? that which we call a rose,
By any other name would smell as sweet;
(William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene ii)
As we know, the two young lovers died, so perhaps a name is not as innocuous as they wanted to believe.
One to underline the symbolic value of a name is the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, whose website announces his first State of the Union address:
"President Barroso will deliver the first State of the Union Address 2010 on Tuesday 7 September 2010 at 9 o'clock"
The President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso will deliver the first "State of the Union Address 2010" on Tuesday, 7 September 2010 at the European Parliament at 9 o'clock.
In his speech the President will give his assessment of where the Union stands and outline the political challenges for the next 12 months.
It seems as if Matizandrea’s Blog was the first among Eurobloggers to pay attention to the State of the Union speech: Lo stato dell’Unione (31 August 2010). Andrea Matiz sees the speech as the first step under the new communication strategy, but he wonders about the media attention the speech will get.
According to The Parliament magazine, the State of the union speech is going to top the Strasbourg plenary agenda of the European Parliament.
The Week in Bloggingportal newsletter and blog have already announced a pan-European Barroso Buzzword Bingo. (See Wikipedia article Buzzword bingo.)
This attempt at humour is one of the kinder reactions this far, although the newsletter text which laid the ground was fairly cutting.
In her EUobserver blog (1 September 2010), Honor Mahony stated that Barroso is not the only one who could aspire to speak for the European Union. The State of the Union name attracts critical comparison with the United States. Still, an honest assessment of where the EU is at, a little humility on the part of the commission president admitting where he could have done more and a few ambitious and clear plans for future would be a good start.
In a post ironically headlined Barroso, Leader of the Free World (but text in German), Max Steinbeis on Verfassungsblog asks if this is the right time to attract comparison which can only be embarrassing.
In the blog entry State of the Union Address, Your Freedom and Ours remarks that the president of the United States was elected according to the US Constitution.
Great Expectations?
Is it a justified move by Barroso and his team to name the Tuesday morning speech the State of the Union Address?
Have they given rise to expectations beyond the powers of the Commission?
Can Barroso, helped by his speechwriters, communicate an engaging vision for EU citizens?
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Comments relevant to the topic discussed in each Grahnlaw blog post are most welcome. However, the number of spam comments has skyrocketed. This is the sad reason for comment moderation, so it may take a while before your valued comment appears.
It is easier to understand a language than to use it correctly. As Eurobloggers we could and should promote interaction among Europeans across borders and between linguistic communities. Grahnlaw has adopted a multilingual comment policy:
I do my best to read comments in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish, even if the Grahnlaw blog and my possible replies are in English.
Monday, 30 August 2010
Eurobarometer media roundup reveals four readings
From a summary of the Eurobarometer controversy we set course for our following harbour: a roundup of how the latest EU-wide poll of public opinion has been received. In Roundup haven we bunker facts and arguments for the next leg of our voyage.
We find four threads of thought in the news reports and comments on the latest Eurobarometer poll.
Economic challenges
Some of the news reports and comments have focused on the growing demand for economic policy coordination and reform, the points the European Commission chose to highlight in its press release.
It’s the economy, stupid, said a curious Yankee in Europe’s court, intimating that US and EU citizens share common priorities about economic woes.
On the WSJ Real Time Brussels blog, John W. Miller highlighted a broad base of support for spending cuts and belt-tightening.
The Eurolocal blog gives extended coverage (in Catalan) to the support for economic reform: Els ciutadans de la UE, a favor de reforçar la governanca econòmica europea!
Plunging EU support
Much of the news reporting concentrated on the sinking levels of support for EU membership, something Open Europe also stressed, besides bitching about the Commission.
Marcin Grajewski recorded for Reuters that popular support for European Union membership had fallen to a nine-year low, in May when the EU was hit by sovereign-debt problems and when some member states were in recession.
Meera Louis, for Bloomberg, reported that Europeans’ confidence in the European Union dropped to a six-year low as the 27-nation bloc battled the Greece-led debt crisis.
Even prospective members have gone cold on the European project, with just 27% of Turks saying they trust Brussels, said the Bulgarian news agency Novinite.com.
Public support for the European Union has collapsed to a nine-year low in all of its 27 countries, was the reading of The Daily Express in the United Kingdom, news warmly received by anti-EU commentators.
Euro(barometer) sceptics
The European Citizen was sceptic about the possibilities to draw real policy conclusions from vague Eurobarometer questions and answers. In his latest comment, Eurocentric thought it was a pity that the Commission and Open Europe thought that they had to spin the results. He has now posted a German version of the post on the blog Ein europäischer Bürger.
According to Gary Finnegan, asking vague questions which invite predictable answers, and then concluding that the respondants support your political position is wrong.
Emerging synthesis?
In an opinion piece on Presseurop, Marco Zatterin reaches a synthesis. The European Union is plunging in the polls because more and more people feel the EU should be the one to solve the problems of the recession. As a matter of fact, three quarters of Europe is calling for more policy coordination.
Fewer people believe Europe is “a good thing” not because they’re against integration per se, but because they feel betrayed by the 27 and the way they’re handling it. They are demanding more, wrote Zatterin.
The article was originally published La Stampa (in Italian): Il tradimento dell’Europa.
Besides the Italian original and the English translation, Presseurop has published versions in Czech, Dutch, French, German, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish.
Detailed discussion
These are the four main strands I was able to find. Most of the instant news reporting fell into one of two categories, either focusing on the demand for more ‘economic governance’ at EU level, or highlighting the declining support for membership in the European Union.
A third line of thought found expression in scepticism regarding the value of opinion polls like Eurobarometer.
A fourth thread was presented in the La Stampa / Presseurop article available in ten languages. Marco Zatterin drew his conclusions about the great expectations of Europeans and the failed delivery by the EU institutions.
Our next stages require detailed study and discussion about individual questions and results reported in the Spring 2010 Eurobarometer. How much can we, in good conscience, read into the replies?
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Comments relevant to the topic discussed in each Grahnlaw blog post are most welcome. However, the number of spam comments has skyrocketed. This is the sad reason for comment moderation, so it may take a while before your valued comment appears.
It is easier to understand a language than to use it correctly. As Eurobloggers we could and should promote interaction among Europeans across borders and between linguistic communities. Grahnlaw has adopted a multilingual comment policy:
I do my best to read comments in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish, even if the Grahnlaw blog and my possible replies are in English.
Antonia on the Euonym blog (Talking about the EU) tells us that the European Commission in the UK arranges a Day of Multilingual Blogging on 26 September 2010, and the UK Representation has been joined by the multilingual aggregator Bloggingportal.eu and individual Eurobloggers. Join the event page on Facebook, spread the word through social media and personal contacts, begin preparing your blog posts and start learning a new language.
We find four threads of thought in the news reports and comments on the latest Eurobarometer poll.
Economic challenges
Some of the news reports and comments have focused on the growing demand for economic policy coordination and reform, the points the European Commission chose to highlight in its press release.
It’s the economy, stupid, said a curious Yankee in Europe’s court, intimating that US and EU citizens share common priorities about economic woes.
On the WSJ Real Time Brussels blog, John W. Miller highlighted a broad base of support for spending cuts and belt-tightening.
The Eurolocal blog gives extended coverage (in Catalan) to the support for economic reform: Els ciutadans de la UE, a favor de reforçar la governanca econòmica europea!
Plunging EU support
Much of the news reporting concentrated on the sinking levels of support for EU membership, something Open Europe also stressed, besides bitching about the Commission.
Marcin Grajewski recorded for Reuters that popular support for European Union membership had fallen to a nine-year low, in May when the EU was hit by sovereign-debt problems and when some member states were in recession.
Meera Louis, for Bloomberg, reported that Europeans’ confidence in the European Union dropped to a six-year low as the 27-nation bloc battled the Greece-led debt crisis.
Even prospective members have gone cold on the European project, with just 27% of Turks saying they trust Brussels, said the Bulgarian news agency Novinite.com.
Public support for the European Union has collapsed to a nine-year low in all of its 27 countries, was the reading of The Daily Express in the United Kingdom, news warmly received by anti-EU commentators.
Euro(barometer) sceptics
The European Citizen was sceptic about the possibilities to draw real policy conclusions from vague Eurobarometer questions and answers. In his latest comment, Eurocentric thought it was a pity that the Commission and Open Europe thought that they had to spin the results. He has now posted a German version of the post on the blog Ein europäischer Bürger.
According to Gary Finnegan, asking vague questions which invite predictable answers, and then concluding that the respondants support your political position is wrong.
Emerging synthesis?
In an opinion piece on Presseurop, Marco Zatterin reaches a synthesis. The European Union is plunging in the polls because more and more people feel the EU should be the one to solve the problems of the recession. As a matter of fact, three quarters of Europe is calling for more policy coordination.
Fewer people believe Europe is “a good thing” not because they’re against integration per se, but because they feel betrayed by the 27 and the way they’re handling it. They are demanding more, wrote Zatterin.
The article was originally published La Stampa (in Italian): Il tradimento dell’Europa.
Besides the Italian original and the English translation, Presseurop has published versions in Czech, Dutch, French, German, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish.
Detailed discussion
These are the four main strands I was able to find. Most of the instant news reporting fell into one of two categories, either focusing on the demand for more ‘economic governance’ at EU level, or highlighting the declining support for membership in the European Union.
A third line of thought found expression in scepticism regarding the value of opinion polls like Eurobarometer.
A fourth thread was presented in the La Stampa / Presseurop article available in ten languages. Marco Zatterin drew his conclusions about the great expectations of Europeans and the failed delivery by the EU institutions.
Our next stages require detailed study and discussion about individual questions and results reported in the Spring 2010 Eurobarometer. How much can we, in good conscience, read into the replies?
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Comments relevant to the topic discussed in each Grahnlaw blog post are most welcome. However, the number of spam comments has skyrocketed. This is the sad reason for comment moderation, so it may take a while before your valued comment appears.
It is easier to understand a language than to use it correctly. As Eurobloggers we could and should promote interaction among Europeans across borders and between linguistic communities. Grahnlaw has adopted a multilingual comment policy:
I do my best to read comments in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish, even if the Grahnlaw blog and my possible replies are in English.
Antonia on the Euonym blog (Talking about the EU) tells us that the European Commission in the UK arranges a Day of Multilingual Blogging on 26 September 2010, and the UK Representation has been joined by the multilingual aggregator Bloggingportal.eu and individual Eurobloggers. Join the event page on Facebook, spread the word through social media and personal contacts, begin preparing your blog posts and start learning a new language.
Friday, 27 August 2010
UK Eurobarometer score: Euromyths 68 - Trust 20
About three months from the conclusion of the fieldwork, the first results of the regular Eurobarometer poll are out. Yesterday, many Twitter comments about the findings were like shells fired in an artillery battle between entrenched frontlines, but even with the best will in the world it is hard to be analytical in 140 characters about a survey of opinions in 27 EU member states (and candidate countries).
Not unsurprisingly, the untiring anti-EU munitions factory Open Europe uses its blog to accuse the European Commission of spin when highlighting the demand for crisis resolution by the European Union.
Anyone heard of “the pot calling the kettle black”?
The press summaries of Open Europe seem to translate the lobby group’s professed aim of radical EU reform into a daily tirade of negative quotes from disgruntled individuals all over Europe.
These selective snippets, as well as opinions and ‘research’ by Open Europe are then fired off by mass market media on the anti-EU campaign trail (examples The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Daily Express), as well as their high-profile columnists.
Various campaign groups (examples EU Referendum Campaign and the Bruges Group, mentioned by Eurogoblin) in the United Kingdom are only too happy to praise their Lords and pass the ammunition, hoping for V-Day in the form of an ‘out’ referendum.
Pot shots by ‘patriotic’ foot soldiers in the Angloblogosphere (examples EUReferendum blog, Witterings From Witney, The Talking Clock, Your Freedom and Ours, The Boiling Frog, John Redwood, the Taxpayers’ Alliance, Cranmer) echo the big guns by repeat fire consisting of legitimate criticism, one-sided cursing, twisted facts and pure Euromyths.
Because many of the ‘better off out’ blogs are content to quote each other, without caring to check or evaluate the original sources, many Euromyths keep making the rounds long after being exposed as complete bollocks.
Small wonder that critical but sane bloggers like Nosemonkey, Eurogoblin, The European Citizen, Atomic Spin, The Endless Track, Robert Jones, Euromove and WSJ Real Time Brussels repeatedly refute Euromyths or calmly disprove them by presenting more constructive views.
The saner voices may have the facts and arguments on their side, but they lack fire power. The anti-EU shelling – branded as eurosceptic - has turned public opinion in the United Kingdom, especially England, deeply suspicious of European integration and the European Union. According to Eurobarometer 73 (Spring 2010), in the UK only 20 per cent of the Crown subjects tend to trust the EU, while 68 per cent lack trust, so the levels of trust are way below the EU averages. Exceptionally, in Great Britain even the national parliament and government are slightly more trusted than the EU.
In the short run the negative attitudes are a problem for the European Union, but at a deeper level the disconnect between voter sentiment and rulers poses serious questions for the political system in the United Kingdom.
How far can the policy choices in a representative democracy legitimately be allowed to ennoble public opinion by straying from the views of the ruled?
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Comments relevant to the topic discussed in each Grahnlaw blog post are most welcome. However, the number of spam comments has skyrocketed. This is the sad reason for comment moderation, so it may take a while before your valued comment appears.
It is easier to understand a language than to use it correctly. As Eurobloggers we could and should promote interaction among Europeans across borders and between linguistic communities. Grahnlaw has adopted a multilingual comment policy:
I do my best to read comments in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish, even if the Grahnlaw blog and my possible replies are in English.
Antonia on the Euonym blog (Talking about the EU) tells us that the European Commission in the UK arranges a Day of Multilingual Blogging on 26 September 2010, and the UK Representation has been joined by the multilingual aggregator Bloggingportal.eu and individual Eurobloggers. Join the event page on Facebook, spread the word through social media and personal contacts, begin preparing your blog posts and start learning a new language.
Not unsurprisingly, the untiring anti-EU munitions factory Open Europe uses its blog to accuse the European Commission of spin when highlighting the demand for crisis resolution by the European Union.
Anyone heard of “the pot calling the kettle black”?
The press summaries of Open Europe seem to translate the lobby group’s professed aim of radical EU reform into a daily tirade of negative quotes from disgruntled individuals all over Europe.
These selective snippets, as well as opinions and ‘research’ by Open Europe are then fired off by mass market media on the anti-EU campaign trail (examples The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Daily Express), as well as their high-profile columnists.
Various campaign groups (examples EU Referendum Campaign and the Bruges Group, mentioned by Eurogoblin) in the United Kingdom are only too happy to praise their Lords and pass the ammunition, hoping for V-Day in the form of an ‘out’ referendum.
Pot shots by ‘patriotic’ foot soldiers in the Angloblogosphere (examples EUReferendum blog, Witterings From Witney, The Talking Clock, Your Freedom and Ours, The Boiling Frog, John Redwood, the Taxpayers’ Alliance, Cranmer) echo the big guns by repeat fire consisting of legitimate criticism, one-sided cursing, twisted facts and pure Euromyths.
Because many of the ‘better off out’ blogs are content to quote each other, without caring to check or evaluate the original sources, many Euromyths keep making the rounds long after being exposed as complete bollocks.
Small wonder that critical but sane bloggers like Nosemonkey, Eurogoblin, The European Citizen, Atomic Spin, The Endless Track, Robert Jones, Euromove and WSJ Real Time Brussels repeatedly refute Euromyths or calmly disprove them by presenting more constructive views.
The saner voices may have the facts and arguments on their side, but they lack fire power. The anti-EU shelling – branded as eurosceptic - has turned public opinion in the United Kingdom, especially England, deeply suspicious of European integration and the European Union. According to Eurobarometer 73 (Spring 2010), in the UK only 20 per cent of the Crown subjects tend to trust the EU, while 68 per cent lack trust, so the levels of trust are way below the EU averages. Exceptionally, in Great Britain even the national parliament and government are slightly more trusted than the EU.
In the short run the negative attitudes are a problem for the European Union, but at a deeper level the disconnect between voter sentiment and rulers poses serious questions for the political system in the United Kingdom.
How far can the policy choices in a representative democracy legitimately be allowed to ennoble public opinion by straying from the views of the ruled?
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Comments relevant to the topic discussed in each Grahnlaw blog post are most welcome. However, the number of spam comments has skyrocketed. This is the sad reason for comment moderation, so it may take a while before your valued comment appears.
It is easier to understand a language than to use it correctly. As Eurobloggers we could and should promote interaction among Europeans across borders and between linguistic communities. Grahnlaw has adopted a multilingual comment policy:
I do my best to read comments in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish, even if the Grahnlaw blog and my possible replies are in English.
Antonia on the Euonym blog (Talking about the EU) tells us that the European Commission in the UK arranges a Day of Multilingual Blogging on 26 September 2010, and the UK Representation has been joined by the multilingual aggregator Bloggingportal.eu and individual Eurobloggers. Join the event page on Facebook, spread the word through social media and personal contacts, begin preparing your blog posts and start learning a new language.
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Pocket-size European Human Rights
The Council of Europe (CoE) has published a small and convenient booklet with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), as amended by the provisions of Protocol No. 14 which entered into force on 1 June 2010.
The Online Bookshop of the Council of Europe offers the new publication in English or French, but in each case it looks as if you have to order a set of five books (of 61 pages).
In Strasbourg the euro is strong, relatively speaking, since you get your five A6 sized booklets for EUR 5 (plus handling and postage), but the user of greenbacks has to fork out USD 10 for the same lot.
Given the smaller margins in forex markets generally, does anyone sniff opportunities for arbitrage?
The pocket-sized hard copy is easy to carry along and for quick reference, but you can still access more detailed information online for free at the CoE Treaty Office, which offers the text of all Council of Europe treaties, their explanatory reports, the status of signatures and ratifications, the declarations and reservations made by States, as well as the notifications issued by the Treaty Office since 2005.
Here you can access the text of the updated Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (the official name; CETS No. 005), as well as additional information.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. The Grahnlaw blog invites comments relevant to the topics discussed, but the number and the variety of spam comments seems to be increasing steadily. This is the sad reason for comment moderation, so it may take a while before your pertinent comment appears.
It is easier to understand a language than to use it correctly. As Eurobloggers we could and should promote interaction among Europeans across borders and between linguistic communities. Grahnlaw has adopted a multilingual comment policy:
I do my best to read comments in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish, even if the Grahnlaw blog and my possible replies are in English.
The Online Bookshop of the Council of Europe offers the new publication in English or French, but in each case it looks as if you have to order a set of five books (of 61 pages).
In Strasbourg the euro is strong, relatively speaking, since you get your five A6 sized booklets for EUR 5 (plus handling and postage), but the user of greenbacks has to fork out USD 10 for the same lot.
Given the smaller margins in forex markets generally, does anyone sniff opportunities for arbitrage?
The pocket-sized hard copy is easy to carry along and for quick reference, but you can still access more detailed information online for free at the CoE Treaty Office, which offers the text of all Council of Europe treaties, their explanatory reports, the status of signatures and ratifications, the declarations and reservations made by States, as well as the notifications issued by the Treaty Office since 2005.
Here you can access the text of the updated Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (the official name; CETS No. 005), as well as additional information.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. The Grahnlaw blog invites comments relevant to the topics discussed, but the number and the variety of spam comments seems to be increasing steadily. This is the sad reason for comment moderation, so it may take a while before your pertinent comment appears.
It is easier to understand a language than to use it correctly. As Eurobloggers we could and should promote interaction among Europeans across borders and between linguistic communities. Grahnlaw has adopted a multilingual comment policy:
I do my best to read comments in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish, even if the Grahnlaw blog and my possible replies are in English.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Subscribe To Grahnlaw
Posts
All Comments
