Article | May 22, 2012 - 3:09pm
European stock markets today, Tuesday 22 May, opened in the green and remained there until well into the afternoon.
European stock markets today, Tuesday 22 May, opened in the green and remained there until well into the afternoon.
Article | May 21, 2012 - 3:18pm
According to the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat), the average top personal income tax rate and the corporate tax rate in the EU27 has increased in 2012.
Blog entry | May 21, 2012 - 10:38am
PARIS – When François Hollande, fresh from his election as France’s next president, was asked by a journalist which language he would use when he meets US President Barack Obama for the first time, his answer was revealing. “I speak English more fluently than the former president,” the Socialist leader insisted, referring to the outgoing Nicolas Sarkozy. “But a French president must speak French!”
PARIS – When François Hollande, fresh from his election as France’s next president, was asked by a journalist which language he would use when he meets US President Barack Obama for the first time, his answer was revealing. “I speak English more fluently than the former president,” the Socialist leader insisted, referring to the outgoing Nicolas Sarkozy. “But a French president must speak French!”
Blog entry | May 20, 2012 - 10:26pm
Last week, on Europe Day, when the eurocrats and the hangers on mark the glory of our eternal, precious union, Herman Van Rompuy announced that the financial crisis was essentially over and everyone would be back in growth by the end of the year.
I said at the time that history has not been kind to European leaders who say ‘it’ll all be over by Christmas’. It only took a few days for history to slap the Council President in the face, although there is no sign that reality has in any way impacted on our Chief Monk.
Blog entry | May 20, 2012 - 10:24pm
2012 was billed as a year of change in Europe, with elections in France, Greece and Russia eagerly anticipated: France for the potential election of a Socialist President, Greece to see how its people would vote in bitter times, and Russia, even though the result was a foregone conclusion, for the clues it might give to the way the largest country in Europe is developing.
2012 was billed as a year of change in Europe, with elections in France, Greece and Russia eagerly anticipated: France for the potential election of a Socialist President, Greece to see how its people would vote in bitter times, and Russia, even though the result was a foregone conclusion, for the clues it might give to the way the largest country in Europe is developing.
Article | May 20, 2012 - 10:15pm
New French President Francois Hollande has declared assets under his possession worth €1.17 million, local reports revealed.
New French President Francois Hollande has declared assets under his possession worth €1.17 million, local reports revealed. The career politician with four children reportedly owns three properties in the south -- a family villa in the hills above Cannes and two small flats. Other than the property, he has a life insurance policy worth only €3,550, furniture worth €15,000 and a total of €8,258 in current accounts, the reports said, citing his declaration in the official gazette.
Blog entry | May 20, 2012 - 10:34pm
The election of Francois Hollande as French president, as well as being a big political story, is a big economic one; one propeller of the twin engine of the European Union and its single currency has been replaced, the other, German Chancellor, appears to be stuttering. After recent electoral setbacks, the chancellor looks politically vulnerable ahead of next year’s federal elections, and as more and more under pressure to ease-up on the rhetoric of austerity, as leaders and politicians around Europe take the cue from Hollande and start talking growth.
Article | May 18, 2012 - 6:38pm
As Greece gets close to the June 17 election, the scenery gets quite clear and the prospects get easier to foresee. Greece is not an island, and thus its Eurozone future, at this very time, is determining for the future of the Eurozone itself and consequently the future of the European Union in its present format.
As Greece gets close to the June 17 election, the scenery gets quite clear and the prospects get easier to foresee. Greece is not an island, and thus its Eurozone future, at this very time, is determining for the future of the Eurozone itself and consequently the future of the European Union in its present format.
Article | May 18, 2012 - 3:25pm
Wolfgang Schäuble the German minister of finance said today that the main reason for Eurozone's growing problems of confidence is the mounting uncertainties over Greece.
Article | May 18, 2012 - 1:52pm
‘France will continue supporting Bulgaria towards accession to Schengen’ stated Simon Suture, chairman of the committee on European affairs of the French Senate.
‘France will continue supporting Bulgaria towards accession to Schengen’ stated Simon Suture, chairman of the committee on European affairs of the French Senate.
Suture was on an official visit to Bulgaria on 18 May. He also said that ‘it was necessary that the assistance of the Cohesion funds of the Union remains unchanged and does not decrease’. In addition, Suture mentioned that a more accurate balance in the allocation of funds across regions was needed.
Article | May 18, 2012 - 1:12pm
The rating agency Moody's downgraded today, Friday 18 May, 16 Spanish banks, as it did yesterday for 24 Italian lenders.
Earlier on the agency had downgraded four regions of Spain. Moody's cut down the grade of some of those Spanish banks by three notches. The agency said that this was due the the increasing danger of the Spanish economy entering in a recession and also because of the limited character of the measures the Madrid government introduced to support the country's ailing banking industry.
Article | May 17, 2012 - 12:10pm
Article | May 17, 2012 - 3:14pm
The fulfilled promise of Hollande for a gender-balanced cabinet with 17 women out of 34 ministers inspired AFP to analyse the ratio between men and women also in the governments of other European states.
The fulfilled promise of Hollande for a gender-balanced cabinet with 17 women out of 34 ministers inspired AFP to analyse the ratio between men and women also in the governments of other European states.
Article | May 16, 2012 - 3:34pm
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) released on 15 May its judgment in the case Labsi vs. Slovakia (Case no. 33809/08). The ECtHR upheld the principle of absolute guarantee in article 3, but it also conveyed the message that the expulsion by a country of people, convicted of terrorism in a second country, was not justified even under the national security reasons of the first state.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) released on 15 May its judgment in the case Labsi vs. Slovakia (Case no. 33809/08).
Article | May 16, 2012 - 12:55pm
Braving lightning, the new French President made his first official visit to Berlin
Even from a business point of view, the spectacle of the newly appointed French President François Hollande running to Berlin, practically minutes after his official inauguration, was by itself a strong message; France is not to question the German prerogative in the European Union and of course in the Eurozone.
Article | May 15, 2012 - 2:22pm
Following astounding victories in recent elections in North-Rhine Westphalia and France, European left decided to ambush German Chancellor Angela Merkel on 15 May.
Blog entry | May 15, 2012 - 12:22pm
2012 was billed as a year of change in Europe, with elections in France, Greece and Russia eagerly anticipated: France for the potential election of a Socialist President, Greece to see how its people would vote in bitter times, and Russia, even though the result was a foregone conclusion, for the clues it might give to the way the largest country in Europe is developing.
2012 was billed as a year of change in Europe, with elections in France, Greece and Russia eagerly anticipated: France for the potential election of a Socialist President, Greece to see how its people would vote in bitter times, and Russia, even though the result was a foregone conclusion, for the clues it might give to the way the largest country in Europe is developing.
Article | May 15, 2012 - 12:11pm
François Hollande was sworn in as president of France on 15 May to become the first Socialist to hold the highest post in the country in 17 years. Hollande announced that his first actions would be to name his prime minister and then to fly to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
François Hollande was sworn in as president of France on 15 May to become the first Socialist to hold the highest post in the country in 17 years. Hollande announced that his first actions would be to name his prime minister and then to fly to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Article | May 15, 2012 - 4:55pm
Newly inaugurated French President François Hollande appointed Jean-Marc Ayrault as the new French Prime Minister.
Article | May 15, 2012 - 8:03pm
According to French officials new President Francois Hollande's jet was hit by lightning en route to Berlin, as it was scheduled to have his first key talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The plane was forced to turn back to Paris as a precaution for inspection, Defense Ministry spokesman Gerard Gachet said.
Francois Hollande was transferred to another aircraft and took off few minutes later.
Article | May 9, 2012 - 11:04am
Article | May 9, 2012 - 10:00am
The ideas behind the European Union were put forward on 9 May 1950 by the French foreign minister, Robert Schuman. This date is now celebrated as a key moment in the creation of the EU.
Europe Day, as it is known, is the anniversary of the Schuman declaration. Speaking in Paris in 1950, then French foreign minister Robert Schuman proposed a new form of political co-operation for Europe, which would make war between Europe’s nations unthinkable.
Article | May 9, 2012 - 1:05pm
Only few days after defeating the incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy, French President-elect François Hollande has to start thinking about the upcoming challenges. However, one issue seems to be dominating Hollande's agenda – the forthcoming parliamentary elections in June.
Article | May 9, 2012 - 10:31am
On 9 May, Europe Day, we celebrate the founding father of Europe, Robert Schuman. But many who are affected from what derives from Brussels do not know anything about who this man really was, except that the main European Commission building is named after him.
Schuman was born in Luxembourg in 1886. He moved to France and in 1919 he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. A moderate conservative he joined the more liberal Popular Republican Movement in 1940. During the Second World War he was a member of the French Resistance.
Article | May 8, 2012 - 3:15pm
Erasmus has become the best known EU programme and the most successful student exchange scheme in the world. It is probably the only real success story of the Union [aside from not having a war between France and Germany].
