cafebabel.com

Jean-Christophe Bas: 'the erasmus generation doesn’t know how lucky it is'

('Helen Swain',) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0000

Finally, on 9 November 1989, there was peace. Young Europeans born after this historic day did experience the war. But what does the construction of Europe mean to them? In his book L’Europe à la carte, Jean-Christophe Bas calls upon the spoiled children of the eurogeneration’s in order to create a less self-centred Europe.

EU press talks of virginity and Benjamin Button as Lisbon treaty is ratified

('euro topics',) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:07:35 -0000

After months of blocking progress, Czech president Václav Klaus became the last head of state to sign on 3 November. The constitutional court in Brno had previously rejected claims brought against the legislative document by conservative senators. As the EU reform treaty can now come into effect, the Danish, Polish, Italian, Czech and Irish press react

67% in Ireland say 'yes' to the Lisbon treaty

("Daniel O'Leary",) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:15:44 -0000

On 2 October, the Irish public allowed changes to the constitution to ratify the Lisbon treaty. The 'resounding' and 'convincing' vote dispels fears that the referendum would pass by a slim margin and demonstrate a lack of Irish faith in the democratic process, and in the EU

Lisbon treaty: Ireland shouldn't feel obliged to vote yes

('Tim Mac an Airchinnigh',) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:22:57 -0000

Remember that other time that Irish voters were told they had returned the wrong result in Nice in 2001? Citizens shouldn't feel they 'owe' anyone on 2 October

'The Constitution in Verse': Brussels 'city poets' slam EU

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:15:00 -0000

'So the European Union doesn’t have a political constitution? Let’s at least give it a poetic one!' 50 authors have spent months putting the finishing touches to new articles in the form of alternative and critical citizens’ verse. Close-up on an initiative from Brussels which began in January 2008

Spain-EU: confusing electoral 'auberge espagnole'

('Matthew',) — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Debates on Europe in Spain are frequently a misleading paradox. On the one hand, public opinion is attached to the European Union, which facilitated the economic and political modernisation of the country. On the other, the lack of 'political pedagogy', the campaign for the European elections in June being no exception, leaves the EU as a distant and unknown political reality

Åland - å land neither Finnish nor Swedish

('Angela Steen',) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

The 26, 000 islanders of this archipelago neighbouring Finland have the power to shape the future of Europe

Lisbon ratified

('Hanna Sankowska',) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Latvia and Germany ratified the Lisbon treaty on 7 and 22 May, after Portugal and Denmark did so on 23 April. The EU's 16 other members should follow suit by 1 January 2009

Women's Day, a European clause

('Andrew Burgess',) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0000

Uniforming the laws concerning the rights of women in the EU from the top down is an exciting idea and a necessity that is gaining support from militants all across the EU

Constitution tension ... in a Finnish sauna

('Angela Steen',) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Temperatures soar as a group of young European journalists get steamed up about the Lisbon Treaty

Apple gets fair on UK music downloads

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Portuguese no to reform treaty referendum, the pan-EU music marketplace and Sarkozy’s press conference

Loving dictator Salazar

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0000

General De Gaulle in France, Churchill in the UK. The Portuguese have voted the founder and leader of the authoritarian regime the 'greatest ever figure in Portuguese history'

Barón Crespo: the European parliament has sacrificed as much as anyone

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0000

The EU parliament has withdrawn from the debate surrounding the latest reform treaty

Merkozy is leaking water

('Rebecca Caulfield',) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 04:27:00 -0000

A conflict of interest is poisoning the apparent honeymoon between the French and German leaders, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, as they work on the EU constitution

EU Parliament: attempt to block the advance of new treaty

('Sophie Paterson',) — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0000

On 11 July, approval was predicted for the motion backing the European Parliament to host the intergovernmental conference on 23 July

Last chance saloon: mini-treaty, or mini-Europe

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:00:00 -0000

The next EU Summit takes place in Brussels from 21 - 22 June - an opportunity for German Chancellor Angela Merkel to encourage members to reconsider the idea of an EU constitution

'The most interesting part of my Plan A+ is the +'

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:00:00 -0000

The vice-president of the European Parliament, 46, suggests reducing the four parts of the constitutional treaty and putting it to a transnational referendum

Brown, Sarkozy and gang - sceptic fantastics

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Is Europe increasingly Eurosceptic as with the arrival of a new generation of new leaders?

'We need a new Single European Act'

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:00:00 -0000

There is an urgent need to reform the Union's economic and institutional plans. Claude Fischer, leader of European think tank 'Confrontations Europe’, proposes a simplified treaty

Join the Le Pen and Mussolini club

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0000

Representing a mere 2.5% of the EU chamber, the new far-right group in parliament is receiving the political cold shoulder

Hans Gert Pöttering: Borrell passes the presidential baton on

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0000

A veteran Christian Democrat from Germany. Just who is the new president of the European Parliament, who comes in hot on the heels of Josep Borell?

A tale of two presidencies: no firm promises

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:00:00 -0000

The constitution, energy security, detangling bureaucracy: Germany dampened expectations as they took over the EU presidency on January 1

Europe in 2007

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 12:00:00 -0000

What is in store for new year's Europe? We look at the upcoming leaders, movers and shakers who will transform the face of the EU in 2007

Why Europe should dare to be dull

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 11:00:00 -0000

Over a year after the French and Dutch referenda said no to the constitution, commentators continue to talk about a ‘crisis.’ Yet the European project is alive and well. Andrew Moravcsik tells us why

“The EU’s decision-making system is medieval”

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 02:00:00 -0000

Guido Montani explains why the nationalist route is a dead end street for Europe.

Looking for a cure for the European crisis

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 02:00:00 -0000

Europe is working to find a lasting cure for the crisis.

No Europe without the Media

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 06:02:00 -0000

In a special article for café babel, celebrating the launch of its Polish version, journalist and co-founder of Gazeta Wyborcza Jacek akowski writes about the role of media in the development of the European public opinion.