EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - French president Nicolas Sarkozy has outlined a vision for Europe that would see "untramelled" capitalism pushed far down the political hierarchy to be replaced by a focus on cultural and spiritual issues with more than a hint of European protectionism. Speaking to an unusually full European chamber in Strasbourg on Tuesday (13 November), Mr Sarkozy said that despite recently fixing its institutional set-up, Europe remains in a state of "moral and political crisis." The new Reform Treaty allows Europe to "take decisions and to act. But it does not say with what goals and with what purpose," said the president. "Political questions still have to be dealt with," he said, adding that is why he is proposing the creation of a wise committee to discuss "without taboos" where Europe is going."
While Europe is "associated" with competition, it cannot be "alone in the world in making it a creed."
Vice Chancellor Franz Müntefering's resignation has caught Germany's grand coalition by surprise: the SPD veteran was seen as a stabilizing influence and the cornerstone of Chancellor Merkel's coalition government. Her party, the CDU, is now wondering what comes next. The good old days: Chancellor Merkel is likely to miss Müntefering, who was an important ally in the cabinet on many issues. He was "Mr. Grand Coalition." No other member of the Social Democrats (SPD) was better placed to represent the party in the coalition government than Vice Chancellor and Labor Minister Franz Müntefering. While he had originally regarded Angela Merkel of the Christian Democrats (CDU) as inept, he then led the SPD into a grand coalition with her, ensuring that she became chancellor. While he often supported her in government, recently he had been going his own way again, particularly when it came to the issue of a minimum wage for German postal workers -- a move critics say would have killed potential competitors to Deutsche Post, which is being a forced to give up its monopoly position by the end of the year. He was one of the weathered old SPD veterans and became the chancellor's most loyal colleague. He was the credible connection between the SPD in government and the SPD political party.
Vice Chancellor Franz Müntefering's resignation has caught Germany's grand coalition by surprise: the SPD veteran was seen as a stabilizing influence and the cornerstone of Chancellor Merkel's coalition government. Her party, the CDU, is now wondering what comes next.
The good old days: Chancellor Merkel is likely to miss Müntefering, who was an important ally in the cabinet on many issues. He was "Mr. Grand Coalition." No other member of the Social Democrats (SPD) was better placed to represent the party in the coalition government than Vice Chancellor and Labor Minister Franz Müntefering.
While he had originally regarded Angela Merkel of the Christian Democrats (CDU) as inept, he then led the SPD into a grand coalition with her, ensuring that she became chancellor. While he often supported her in government, recently he had been going his own way again, particularly when it came to the issue of a minimum wage for German postal workers -- a move critics say would have killed potential competitors to Deutsche Post, which is being a forced to give up its monopoly position by the end of the year.
He was one of the weathered old SPD veterans and became the chancellor's most loyal colleague. He was the credible connection between the SPD in government and the SPD political party.
Franz Müntefering - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In April 2005, Müntefering criticized the market economy of Germany and proposed more state involvement to promote economic justice. In this speech, he described private equity firms as "locusts". He subsequently published a "locust list" of companies, which he circulated within the SPD [1]. This began a debate which has dominated the national news, being the subject of front-page articles and covered on the main television news broadcasts nearly every day. Müntefering's suggestions have been criticized by employers and many economists, but have met with popular support (up to 75% in some opinion polls).
People close to Mr Müntefering, however, said the minister had grown increasingly impatient with both his party and Ms Merkel's leadership. The resignation came one day after the coalition's top steering committee endorsed Mr Beck's proposal to increase unemployment benefits for older jobseekers, something Mr Müntefering had vehemently opposed. By contrast, Ms Merkel vetoed the vice-chancellor's plan to create a minimum wage in the postal sector. For Mr Bartels, the resignation was the logical conclusion of a "slow surrender of power" by a man who had become the last soldier in the lost battle to modernise a nostalgic party that he had joined more than 40 years ago. A trade unionist from the industrial heartlands of west Germany, Mr Müntefering had a close, almost emotional, identification with Germany's oldest party. For most of his career, he was seen as a traditionalist, once describing himself as "concrete-headed". As recently as two years ago, he was delighting left-leaning voters by comparing financial investors to "locusts" - a bronze statue of the insect graces his Berlin office. This may be why his conversion to pro-market reforms after Mr Schröder launched his unpopular Agenda 2010 overhaul of social security and the labour market, was initially seen as an act of loyalty more than one of personal conviction. Mr Müntefering was adamant he had undergone a change of mind. As parliamentary floor leader and despite initial misgivings, he forced the reforms through a divided and mostly hostile SPD parliamentary group in 2003. The following year, he took over from Mr Schröder as party chairman. This is not the first time Mr Müntefering has slammed the door at a sensitive time. After a row with the party's left wing over the appointment of a secretary general, he resigned as party chairman in late 2005, just as the SPD and CDU were in the midst of negotiating their coalition agreement. As the SPD turned to the left this autumn under Mr Beck's leadership and began rolling back Mr Schröder's reform legacy, Mr Müntefering grew increasingly isolated in his defence of Agenda 2010.
The resignation came one day after the coalition's top steering committee endorsed Mr Beck's proposal to increase unemployment benefits for older jobseekers, something Mr Müntefering had vehemently opposed. By contrast, Ms Merkel vetoed the vice-chancellor's plan to create a minimum wage in the postal sector.
For Mr Bartels, the resignation was the logical conclusion of a "slow surrender of power" by a man who had become the last soldier in the lost battle to modernise a nostalgic party that he had joined more than 40 years ago.
A trade unionist from the industrial heartlands of west Germany, Mr Müntefering had a close, almost emotional, identification with Germany's oldest party. For most of his career, he was seen as a traditionalist, once describing himself as "concrete-headed". As recently as two years ago, he was delighting left-leaning voters by comparing financial investors to "locusts" - a bronze statue of the insect graces his Berlin office.
This may be why his conversion to pro-market reforms after Mr Schröder launched his unpopular Agenda 2010 overhaul of social security and the labour market, was initially seen as an act of loyalty more than one of personal conviction.
Mr Müntefering was adamant he had undergone a change of mind. As parliamentary floor leader and despite initial misgivings, he forced the reforms through a divided and mostly hostile SPD parliamentary group in 2003. The following year, he took over from Mr Schröder as party chairman.
This is not the first time Mr Müntefering has slammed the door at a sensitive time. After a row with the party's left wing over the appointment of a secretary general, he resigned as party chairman in late 2005, just as the SPD and CDU were in the midst of negotiating their coalition agreement.
As the SPD turned to the left this autumn under Mr Beck's leadership and began rolling back Mr Schröder's reform legacy, Mr Müntefering grew increasingly isolated in his defence of Agenda 2010.
"reform" is explicitly opposed to "left", again. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
These are not measures of the right or the left. These are common-sense reforms that all other countries have carried out... countries that are successful...
PARIS: A bold attempt by the European Union to impose caps on aircraft emissions received a boost on Tuesday as legislators voted to raise the costs on airlines and to include international flights sooner than expected. The measures, approved by the European Parliament, are fiercely opposed by the United States and the airline industry, which could cost companies billions of dollars and lead to sharp price rises for passengers. On the opposing side, some environmental groups criticized the proposed measure, which still must be approved by individual EU states, as far too timid. But members of the European Parliament said that regulating aircraft pollution would set a important precedent and could be emulated by other countries. "We want a worldwide system as soon as possible," said Peter Liese, a German member of parliament who helped to guide the legislation through parliament, which met in Strasbourg, France. "There must be an end to the status quo that nothing is done in the aviation sector and which has predominated for many years now," Liese said. Liese added that two-thirds of all aircraft emissions are from intercontinental flights.
PARIS: A bold attempt by the European Union to impose caps on aircraft emissions received a boost on Tuesday as legislators voted to raise the costs on airlines and to include international flights sooner than expected.
The measures, approved by the European Parliament, are fiercely opposed by the United States and the airline industry, which could cost companies billions of dollars and lead to sharp price rises for passengers. On the opposing side, some environmental groups criticized the proposed measure, which still must be approved by individual EU states, as far too timid.
But members of the European Parliament said that regulating aircraft pollution would set a important precedent and could be emulated by other countries.
"We want a worldwide system as soon as possible," said Peter Liese, a German member of parliament who helped to guide the legislation through parliament, which met in Strasbourg, France. "There must be an end to the status quo that nothing is done in the aviation sector and which has predominated for many years now," Liese said.
Liese added that two-thirds of all aircraft emissions are from intercontinental flights.
Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - that I moved to Nice.
Denmark's governing coalition, led by Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has won a general election, but is one seat short of an absolute majority. With all the votes counted, his Liberal-Conservative led government has taken 89 of the 179 seats in the Folketing, the country's parliament. Mr Rasmussen could be forced to seek support from a new party headed by a Syrian-born Palestinian immigrant. Turnout was higher than in the previous poll, held in 2005, at over 86%. Mr Rasmussen, 54, who won a third consecutive election after the 2001 and 2005 victories was in a jubilant mood. "Everything indicates that the government can continue," he told his supporters after victory became clear. Social Democrat leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt has admitted her party had failed to gain enough votes, saying: "It was not enough."
With all the votes counted, his Liberal-Conservative led government has taken 89 of the 179 seats in the Folketing, the country's parliament.
Mr Rasmussen could be forced to seek support from a new party headed by a Syrian-born Palestinian immigrant.
Turnout was higher than in the previous poll, held in 2005, at over 86%.
Mr Rasmussen, 54, who won a third consecutive election after the 2001 and 2005 victories was in a jubilant mood.
"Everything indicates that the government can continue," he told his supporters after victory became clear.
Social Democrat leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt has admitted her party had failed to gain enough votes, saying: "It was not enough."
A strike could halt production at Britain's biggest chocolate company after workers overwhelmingly rejected Cadbury's plans to close a factory and shift production of brands such as Curly Wurly and Fudge to Poland. In the latest blow to the British chocolate industry, Cadbury plans to close the historic former Fry's Somerdale factory at Kenysham, near Bristol. The move will result in the loss of 500 jobs and transfer of some of the production to the company's Bournville plant in Birmingham. Even there, a further 200 jobs will be lost. By 2010, a new plant in Poland is intended to produce some if not most of the brands made at Keynsham, including Curly Wurly, Fudge, Turkish Delight, Fry's Chocolate Cream and Cadbury's Mini-Egg. In a ballot announced yesterday, workers at all four of Cadbury's chocolate-making plants in the UK - Keynsham, Bournville, Marlbrook in Herefordshire and Chirk in north Wales - rejected the plan by 1,363 to 130, a majority of 9-1. A call for a ballot on industrial action was backed by 1,090 to 312. Union leaders and managers will be locked in talks for the next few weeks to discuss whether to go ahead with the move. It is also opposed by the Labour MP for Wansdyke, in Somerset, Dan Norris.
A strike could halt production at Britain's biggest chocolate company after workers overwhelmingly rejected Cadbury's plans to close a factory and shift production of brands such as Curly Wurly and Fudge to Poland.
In the latest blow to the British chocolate industry, Cadbury plans to close the historic former Fry's Somerdale factory at Kenysham, near Bristol. The move will result in the loss of 500 jobs and transfer of some of the production to the company's Bournville plant in Birmingham. Even there, a further 200 jobs will be lost.
By 2010, a new plant in Poland is intended to produce some if not most of the brands made at Keynsham, including Curly Wurly, Fudge, Turkish Delight, Fry's Chocolate Cream and Cadbury's Mini-Egg.
In a ballot announced yesterday, workers at all four of Cadbury's chocolate-making plants in the UK - Keynsham, Bournville, Marlbrook in Herefordshire and Chirk in north Wales - rejected the plan by 1,363 to 130, a majority of 9-1. A call for a ballot on industrial action was backed by 1,090 to 312. Union leaders and managers will be locked in talks for the next few weeks to discuss whether to go ahead with the move. It is also opposed by the Labour MP for Wansdyke, in Somerset, Dan Norris.
Britain's biggest chocolate company
Cadbury is not chocolate...
Oh my. I really should turn down the snark setting.
Someday. The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
In any case, part of the reason why the production of European-style chocolate takes place in Europe and North America is that a lot of non-Europeans can't stomach the stuff. They make a good deal of chocolate products here in Japan. The bars (Lotte, Meiji, Ghana) are pretty decent, actually, but the various candies and whatnot have about one half to one third the sweetness they oughta have. It's bizarre, but the Japanese just don't like things with Euro-American levels of sweetness.
Then again, East Asia isn't exactly a cacao producing region either. Maybe this isn't a problem in Africa and SA.
Still, though, it seems perfectly legitimate to have end-goods manufacturers catering to local tastes (as Cadbury is for England) situated in those localities, even if the raw materials are produced abroad.
Roma activists across Europe were celebrating a landmark victory last night as Europe's leading human rights authority ruled that the Czech Republic had practised racial discrimination by wrongly channelling Roma children into remedial education schools.A legal marathon dating to the 1990s climaxed with a ruling in Strasbourg from the European court of human rights which found the Czech authorities guilty of discrimination against Roma children.The test case was brought on behalf of 18 Roma, from the Ostrava region of the Czech Republic, who had had their complaints dismissed by the Czech courts in the 90s. "It is now unlawful for Roma students to be forced into substandard schools," said Vera Egenberger, of the European Roma Rights Centre.The Strasbourg judges found, by 13 to four, that Czech law, which has since been revised, did violate the European convention on human rights. The judges noted that the republic was far from alone in having condemned Roma children to inadequate education. Amnesty International is to unveil a study today on similar discriminatory practices in Slovakia.
A legal marathon dating to the 1990s climaxed with a ruling in Strasbourg from the European court of human rights which found the Czech authorities guilty of discrimination against Roma children.
The test case was brought on behalf of 18 Roma, from the Ostrava region of the Czech Republic, who had had their complaints dismissed by the Czech courts in the 90s. "It is now unlawful for Roma students to be forced into substandard schools," said Vera Egenberger, of the European Roma Rights Centre.
The Strasbourg judges found, by 13 to four, that Czech law, which has since been revised, did violate the European convention on human rights. The judges noted that the republic was far from alone in having condemned Roma children to inadequate education. Amnesty International is to unveil a study today on similar discriminatory practices in Slovakia.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown may have gone too far in distancing himself from his predecessor Tony Blair and his close relationship with US President George W. Bush. In a major speech on Monday he emphasized his admiration for all things American. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown delivers his keynote speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet at the Guildhall, stressing close ties to the United States. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has sought to emphasize what makes him different from his predecessor Tony Blair ever since coming to office this summer. And while Brown's attempts to show a far less poodle-like acquiescence to the United States has undoubtedly won him popularity at home, it has had the effect of making relations between London and Washington frostier than they have been for quite some time. While Berlin and Paris have both been working hard at improving relations with Washington, Brown has gone the other way, apparently seeking to cool the formerly warm relationship Blair had with both former President Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Blair's decision to join the US-led coalition in the Iraq war made him highly unpopular in the United Kingdom and contributed to his departure from office this summer. But with France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (more...) and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel (more...) returning from stateside visits where they basked in the warm glow of American affection, Brown seems to have realized that he may have gone a bit too far in distancing himself from the US.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown may have gone too far in distancing himself from his predecessor Tony Blair and his close relationship with US President George W. Bush. In a major speech on Monday he emphasized his admiration for all things American.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown delivers his keynote speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet at the Guildhall, stressing close ties to the United States. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has sought to emphasize what makes him different from his predecessor Tony Blair ever since coming to office this summer. And while Brown's attempts to show a far less poodle-like acquiescence to the United States has undoubtedly won him popularity at home, it has had the effect of making relations between London and Washington frostier than they have been for quite some time.
While Berlin and Paris have both been working hard at improving relations with Washington, Brown has gone the other way, apparently seeking to cool the formerly warm relationship Blair had with both former President Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Blair's decision to join the US-led coalition in the Iraq war made him highly unpopular in the United Kingdom and contributed to his departure from office this summer.
But with France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (more...) and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel (more...) returning from stateside visits where they basked in the warm glow of American affection, Brown seems to have realized that he may have gone a bit too far in distancing himself from the US.
Doing the Sarkozy Nicolas Sarkozy's star turn in America last week didn't escape notice in London, which used to pride itself on the "special relationship." (...) So Monday night, in his first major speech on foreign policy since moving into 10 Downing Street, Mr. Brown sought to out-Sarkozy the Frenchman. "It is no secret that I am a lifelong admirer of America," he said in London. (...) Whether the Prime Minister's sudden effusiveness about the Yanks was prompted by the Sarkozy visit doesn't matter. But his speech recognized that the action today in Europe is in France and Germany. Paris and Berlin buried disagreements over the Iraq war and reached out to Washington on the strategic challenges faced by the trans-Atlantic Alliance. London feels left out. In the meantime, one can marvel at the sight, unimaginable this time last year, of a new generation of European leaders clamoring to make friends with America.
Nicolas Sarkozy's star turn in America last week didn't escape notice in London, which used to pride itself on the "special relationship."
(...)
So Monday night, in his first major speech on foreign policy since moving into 10 Downing Street, Mr. Brown sought to out-Sarkozy the Frenchman. "It is no secret that I am a lifelong admirer of America," he said in London. (...)
Whether the Prime Minister's sudden effusiveness about the Yanks was prompted by the Sarkozy visit doesn't matter. But his speech recognized that the action today in Europe is in France and Germany. Paris and Berlin buried disagreements over the Iraq war and reached out to Washington on the strategic challenges faced by the trans-Atlantic Alliance. London feels left out.
In the meantime, one can marvel at the sight, unimaginable this time last year, of a new generation of European leaders clamoring to make friends with America.
Marvel indeed. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
EUOBSERVER / STRASBOURG - EU auditors have once again refused to sign off the bloc's accounts while noting that EU farm subsidy reform means that handouts are going to golf clubs rather than farmers. The president of the European Court of Auditors, Hubert Weber, gave a negative statement of assurance on the EU's spending when presenting the 2006 accounts report to the European Parliament's budgetary control committee late on Monday (11 November). "I believe that the EU citizens are entitled to expect EU funds to be properly managed and controlled across the Union," he told MEPs, concluding that this is not yet the case. The red card from the auditors is the 13th in a row and comes despite several improvements introduced in recent years to boost the regularity of EU cash distribution.
France will next year push for a Europe of defence, proposing Brussels-based EU planning staff, exchanges between professional soldiers and a harmonization of military education - ideas which are likely to raise concern in the UK. In an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, French defence minister Hervé Morin said that Paris will put defence high on the agenda when it takes over the rotating presidency of the EU in the second half of 2008. Mr Morin described European defence as an "absolute priority" which is at least as important for European integration as the EU's common currency, the euro. "With the common currency, we have created a strong symbol for Europe. But nothing can better express the European community of fate than common defence, a common sense of Europe's threats and security interests," he said.
Was it lese majeste or just a good laugh? Scurrilous libel or a witty commentary on a topical issue for Spanish parents? El Jueves poked ribald fun at the royal couple A court in Spain has convicted Manel Fontdevila, cartoons editor of the popular satirical weekly magazine El Jueves, and cartoonist "Guillermo" of "damaging the prestige of the crown". Both men received a hefty 3,000-euro (£2,100) fine. Their offence was to have published a cartoon last July making ribald fun of the heir to the Spanish throne, and of the government's scheme to encourage women to have more babies by giving mothers a special payment for each new birth. It was a caricature of Prince Filipe having sex with his wife, Princess Letizia, and telling her: "Do you realise that if you get pregnant, it will be the closest thing to work I've done in my life?"
Was it lese majeste or just a good laugh? Scurrilous libel or a witty commentary on a topical issue for Spanish parents?
Both men received a hefty 3,000-euro (£2,100) fine.
Their offence was to have published a cartoon last July making ribald fun of the heir to the Spanish throne, and of the government's scheme to encourage women to have more babies by giving mothers a special payment for each new birth.
It was a caricature of Prince Filipe having sex with his wife, Princess Letizia, and telling her: "Do you realise that if you get pregnant, it will be the closest thing to work I've done in my life?"
French railway and public transportation workers are to go on strike Tuesday evening to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy's reform measures. On Wednesday, they will be joined by energy sector workers, students and lawyers across the country. ANZEIGE var qcPage="www.spiegel.de/international/artikel"; if (qcPage.indexOf("center")==-1) { document.write(''); } The first wave of strikes are set to hit France on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. with railway workers' trade unions getting things started. Then, on Wednesday, Parisian public transport workers who are trade union members will join in, as will the employees of energy company EDF and natural gas provider GDF. Lawyers and hospital employees have also announced that they will go on strike next week.French train, public transportation and gas and energy sector workers are already organizing their second nationwide strike in a month. They hope their strikes will prevent, among other things, the reform of the French pension system planned for about one million civil servants. Unlike the strikes (more...) in mid-October, there is no time limit on the new round of strikes. The strike wave is a reaction to the reform of the pension system planned by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. If Sarkozy has his way, the majority of employees will henceforth pay into the public pension fund for 40 years as opposed to 37.5 years, as is currently the case. Train conductors, public sector employees, workers at the public gas company and artists at the Paris opera house would all be affected.
French railway and public transportation workers are to go on strike Tuesday evening to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy's reform measures. On Wednesday, they will be joined by energy sector workers, students and lawyers across the country. ANZEIGE var qcPage="www.spiegel.de/international/artikel"; if (qcPage.indexOf("center")==-1) { document.write(''); }
The first wave of strikes are set to hit France on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. with railway workers' trade unions getting things started. Then, on Wednesday, Parisian public transport workers who are trade union members will join in, as will the employees of energy company EDF and natural gas provider GDF. Lawyers and hospital employees have also announced that they will go on strike next week.
French train, public transportation and gas and energy sector workers are already organizing their second nationwide strike in a month. They hope their strikes will prevent, among other things, the reform of the French pension system planned for about one million civil servants. Unlike the strikes (more...) in mid-October, there is no time limit on the new round of strikes.
The strike wave is a reaction to the reform of the pension system planned by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. If Sarkozy has his way, the majority of employees will henceforth pay into the public pension fund for 40 years as opposed to 37.5 years, as is currently the case. Train conductors, public sector employees, workers at the public gas company and artists at the Paris opera house would all be affected.
The European Commission has proposed giving regulators more power to ensure open competition and create a single telecommunications market within the bloc. But not all the member states like the idea. The proposals would allow national regulators to split the network and retail divisions of providers deemed to have too much influence. They also foresee giving Brussels the ability to overturn national regulators' decisions and would create an EU telecommunications watchdog organization. "From today onwards, a single market without borders for Europe's telecoms operators and consumers is not only a dream," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement introducing the proposals on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Advocates said the changes are also needed to increase investment in sectors like broadband Internet access and diversify the market, a step EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said the regulations would make.
The proposals would allow national regulators to split the network and retail divisions of providers deemed to have too much influence. They also foresee giving Brussels the ability to overturn national regulators' decisions and would create an EU telecommunications watchdog organization.
"From today onwards, a single market without borders for Europe's telecoms operators and consumers is not only a dream," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement introducing the proposals on Tuesday, Nov. 13.
Advocates said the changes are also needed to increase investment in sectors like broadband Internet access and diversify the market, a step EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said the regulations would make.
Is it any better in telecom? I can see arguments for the separation of content/service providers and the physical management of the wires and whatnot in the case of the Internet, given that existing telecom companies in the US routinely try to use their control of the wires to force particular kinds of content onto their users, restrict their access to particular things, and so on. The whole battle over net neutrality is to prevent telecoms from doing exactly this.
So, would actual formal separation be a good idea for telecom? Is that even under discussion, or are they just talking about letting integrated telecom companies act with less oversight?
Among the problems with the big ex-monopolies is that they very often have control of some of the physical infrastructure - copper into the home for a start - and make it very difficult for competitors to use it to provide services in local exchanges, for example. Eircom, the ex-incumbent here, has always seemed to implement exactly the letter of the law to make it as difficult as possible for upstarts, I mean start-ups, to provide services. Sometimes it would almost seem like they've slowed down their own roll-out of services so as to handicap competitors,
Took a decade or something though. A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!
European Union plans to attract "bright minds" from developing countries suffered a blow after a study found that EU scientists earn less than their Indian counterparts. The EU study shows that annual salaries among researchers working in the EU average just under 38,000 euros ($A61,923). By comparison, scientists in India earn on average 45,200 ($A73,773), when these incomes are adjusted in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). EU scientists also earn 23,000 ($A37,539) less than their colleagues in the United States. The study also found huge disparities within the 27-member bloc. While researchers earn competitive salaries in wealthy EU countries such as Denmark, Germany and Ireland, they are paid pitiful amounts in new member states such as Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Estonia.
European Union plans to attract "bright minds" from developing countries suffered a blow after a study found that EU scientists earn less than their Indian counterparts.
The EU study shows that annual salaries among researchers working in the EU average just under 38,000 euros ($A61,923). By comparison, scientists in India earn on average 45,200 ($A73,773), when these incomes are adjusted in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).
EU scientists also earn 23,000 ($A37,539) less than their colleagues in the United States.
The study also found huge disparities within the 27-member bloc.
While researchers earn competitive salaries in wealthy EU countries such as Denmark, Germany and Ireland, they are paid pitiful amounts in new member states such as Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Estonia.
well no-one likes to read the prognosis of their own demise, i guess, unless they're of the raptee persuasion. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
i'm sure he was very nice to scientists who furthered his war machine.
in reading about the nazis, i was struck by the similarity with repub god-botherers... ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
previously i had the perception that only jewish scientists were singled out for 'difficulties', but this article pointed out that many scientists left who were not jewish.
of course, no one was trying to warn hitler of global warming!
some science has flourished under fascism, i'm sure, anything to do with armaments, natch, or genetics.
but my distinct impression (perhaps wrong), is under soviet totalitarianism science was encouraged, while fascism tended to set it back.
i know cuba has g ood medicine science.
it's an interesting subject actually, i don't know where you'd start getting an overview via google.
perhaps someone here knows more.
i applaud your scepticism, poemless! ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
Vladimir Putin yesterday gave his strongest hint yet that he intends to stay in power in Russia after his term as president expires in next year, declaring that he had a "moral right" to maintain influence.Putin said that if, as expected, his United Russia party wins a landslide victory in next month's parliamentary elections this would give him a mandate to carry on as the country's de facto leader.He refused to explain how he intends to maintain his grip on power, merely saying that there were "various possibilities". Under Russia's constitution Putin, who was elected in 2000, is obliged to step down in May after two consecutive presidential terms.But yesterday's remarks are the baldest affirmation yet that Putin has no real intention of resigning from politics. "If the people vote for United Russia, it means that a clear majority of the people put their trust in me and in turn that means I will have the moral right to hold those in the Duma and the cabinet responsible for the implementation of the tasks that have been set today," he said during a visit to the Siberian town of Krasnoyarsk.
Putin said that if, as expected, his United Russia party wins a landslide victory in next month's parliamentary elections this would give him a mandate to carry on as the country's de facto leader.
He refused to explain how he intends to maintain his grip on power, merely saying that there were "various possibilities". Under Russia's constitution Putin, who was elected in 2000, is obliged to step down in May after two consecutive presidential terms.
But yesterday's remarks are the baldest affirmation yet that Putin has no real intention of resigning from politics. "If the people vote for United Russia, it means that a clear majority of the people put their trust in me and in turn that means I will have the moral right to hold those in the Duma and the cabinet responsible for the implementation of the tasks that have been set today," he said during a visit to the Siberian town of Krasnoyarsk.
Journalists are worried about performing their jobs as the German government has expanded surveillance measures that will allow reporters' telephone and Internet data to be collected and stored. Debate has heated up about professional privacy as the German government has opened the door to increased surveillance of online and telephone activity. In certain circumstances, the telephone conversations of lawyers, journalists and doctors may also be bugged. Currently, some journalists say police have already been listening into their conversations. According to the tagesschau online portal of German public broadcaster ARD, police have eavesdropped on conversations of two journalists and two lawyers to pursue investigations of two suspected left-wing radicals. One of the journalists works for tagesschau, another works for public broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR).
Debate has heated up about professional privacy as the German government has opened the door to increased surveillance of online and telephone activity. In certain circumstances, the telephone conversations of lawyers, journalists and doctors may also be bugged.
Currently, some journalists say police have already been listening into their conversations.
According to the tagesschau online portal of German public broadcaster ARD, police have eavesdropped on conversations of two journalists and two lawyers to pursue investigations of two suspected left-wing radicals. One of the journalists works for tagesschau, another works for public broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR).
- get it here! The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
