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Germany's foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has indicated he would like to see a European army established. Speaking at a Social Democrat security policy conference in Berlin on Monday (5 May), Mr Steinmeier said he favoured the setting up of a "European armed force" and that he would like to see moves in this direction speeded up. German daily Tagespiegel reported Mr Steinmeier as referring to the fact that the EU's new treaty, currently undergoing ratification across the European Union, allows for the possibility of a group of member states to "move ahead" in defence policy. He noted that from Berlin's point of view, France is the key partner for this. Mr Steinmeier said he had already spoken with his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner, on concrete steps to improve common areas in the military field. These include the areas of transport, helicopter capacity and procurement.
Germany aims for a cooperative relationship with newly inaugurated Russian President Dimitry Medvedev, Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a newspaper interview published Thursday. "I wish the new president, Dimitry Medvedev, everything of the best and good luck. I am looking forward to cooperating with him," Merkel told the Passauer Neue Presse. Merkel also said that she had "a very constructive and direct relationship" with Medvedev's predecessor, Vladimir Putin. Putin was confirmed prime minister on Thursday, May 8, in a near unanimous parliamentary vote that underscored his continued power, one day after passing the Kremlin to his protege Medvedev. "We will continue to cooperate in the future in his new role as prime minister," Merkel said, while also acknowledging that there were differences of opinion.
"I wish the new president, Dimitry Medvedev, everything of the best and good luck. I am looking forward to cooperating with him," Merkel told the Passauer Neue Presse.
Merkel also said that she had "a very constructive and direct relationship" with Medvedev's predecessor, Vladimir Putin.
Putin was confirmed prime minister on Thursday, May 8, in a near unanimous parliamentary vote that underscored his continued power, one day after passing the Kremlin to his protege Medvedev.
"We will continue to cooperate in the future in his new role as prime minister," Merkel said, while also acknowledging that there were differences of opinion.
MOSCOW: The Russian Parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly confirmed Vladimir Putin as prime minister, completing his managed departure from the presidency in a manner that leaves him the country's dominant politician and with a firm grip on power. Putin received 392 votes in the 450-seat Duma, the lower house of Parliament, before a resolution confirming his new post was handed to his protégé and presidential successor, Dmitri Medvedev, who promptly accepted it. Fifty-six members of Parliament voted against the appointment, all of them Communists, whose party leader issued a scathing assessment Thursday of Putin's eight years as president. The dissenting speech was broadcast live on national television, an unusual event in a country where criticism of Putin has been blocked from television for years.
MOSCOW: The Russian Parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly confirmed Vladimir Putin as prime minister, completing his managed departure from the presidency in a manner that leaves him the country's dominant politician and with a firm grip on power.
Putin received 392 votes in the 450-seat Duma, the lower house of Parliament, before a resolution confirming his new post was handed to his protégé and presidential successor, Dmitri Medvedev, who promptly accepted it.
Fifty-six members of Parliament voted against the appointment, all of them Communists, whose party leader issued a scathing assessment Thursday of Putin's eight years as president.
The dissenting speech was broadcast live on national television, an unusual event in a country where criticism of Putin has been blocked from television for years.
Franco Frattini has formally stepped down as the European Union's commissioner for justice, freedom and security following his appointment as foreign minister in the new Italian government of Silvio Berlusconi. "Frattini has accepted to join the Italian government as a minister and consequently has submitted his resignation to the European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso," commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger said on Thursday, May 8. Frattini, who also acted as one of the EU executive's five vice-presidents, had taken unpaid leave while taking part in the April election campaign. During that period, he was replaced by Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot of France. Barrot will retain his new post as the EU's top justice official, meaning the Berlusconi government will have to designate a new transport commissioner instead. "At this precise point in time I cannot yet give you any news on who that person will be," the spokesman told reporters.
"Frattini has accepted to join the Italian government as a minister and consequently has submitted his resignation to the European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso," commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger said on Thursday, May 8.
Frattini, who also acted as one of the EU executive's five vice-presidents, had taken unpaid leave while taking part in the April election campaign. During that period, he was replaced by Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot of France.
Barrot will retain his new post as the EU's top justice official, meaning the Berlusconi government will have to designate a new transport commissioner instead.
"At this precise point in time I cannot yet give you any news on who that person will be," the spokesman told reporters.
It is not the sort of appointment Gordon Brown would make to his cabinet. But then Mr Brown is no Silvio Berlusconi, playboy and man of ostentatious political gestures. The Italian prime minister, long known for his fondness for pretty women, has named former topless model and beauty queen Mara Carfagna as equal opportunities minister in his new cabinet. Miss Carfagna, 33, turned to politics after a career on TV following her sixth-place finish in the 1997 Miss Italy contest.
But then Mr Brown is no Silvio Berlusconi, playboy and man of ostentatious political gestures.
The Italian prime minister, long known for his fondness for pretty women, has named former topless model and beauty queen Mara Carfagna as equal opportunities minister in his new cabinet.
Miss Carfagna, 33, turned to politics after a career on TV following her sixth-place finish in the 1997 Miss Italy contest.
The poll also offers several surprises worth meditating. The government starts off with a 49% approval rating- very, very low. Plus 47% do not approve of the government with only 4% undecided. The game is being kicked off with a net polarization of opinions. Calderoli is next to Mara at 39%.
Table 3a is a comparison with the previous Prodi government which started out with a 63% approval rating. Di Pietro's party is also at the top in terms of trust- along with Berlusconi's personal political entity.
I wonder where we live. There seems to be a schism between voting behavior and opinion in the population.
There seems to be a schism between voting behavior and opinion in the population.
I thought that the Berlusconi victory was more to do with his gaming of the system during his last period of office than any preference amongst the public.
You have to remember that most British governments are formed with the majority preferring somebody else. Governments rarely get more than 44% of the vote, so at least 55% don't want them. But they win cos that's the way the system works. keep to the Fen Causeway
Tajani was appointed to take the place of Frattini.
David Cameron has launched another raid into Labour's natural territory by hailing the Conservatives as the "true progressives" of British politics. Writing in The Independent, the Tory leader is seeking to exploit Gordon Brown's continuing problems over his abolition of the 10p tax rate by arguing that Labour's top-down solutions have failed on poverty, social mobility, welfare, education, the economy and the environment.In a pitch for centre-left voters following his party's victory in last week's local and London elections, Mr Cameron says: "If you care about poverty, if you care about inequality, if you care about the environment - forget about the Labour Party. It has forgotten about you. If you count yourself a progressive, a true progressive, only we can achieve real change."His words echo Neil Kinnock's searing attack on the Tory government at the 1983 general election, when he was Labour leader: "If Margaret Thatcher wins on Thursday, I warn you not to be ordinary, I warn you not to be young, I warn you not to fall ill, and I warn you not to grow old."
David Cameron has launched another raid into Labour's natural territory by hailing the Conservatives as the "true progressives" of British politics.
Writing in The Independent, the Tory leader is seeking to exploit Gordon Brown's continuing problems over his abolition of the 10p tax rate by arguing that Labour's top-down solutions have failed on poverty, social mobility, welfare, education, the economy and the environment.
In a pitch for centre-left voters following his party's victory in last week's local and London elections, Mr Cameron says: "If you care about poverty, if you care about inequality, if you care about the environment - forget about the Labour Party. It has forgotten about you. If you count yourself a progressive, a true progressive, only we can achieve real change."
His words echo Neil Kinnock's searing attack on the Tory government at the 1983 general election, when he was Labour leader: "If Margaret Thatcher wins on Thursday, I warn you not to be ordinary, I warn you not to be young, I warn you not to fall ill, and I warn you not to grow old."
If you care about poverty, if you care about inequality, if you care about the environment
Or rather "If you care about creating poverty, if you care about increasing inequality, if you care about the economic environment"
I don't mind the Tories when they're honest, as they mostly were under thatcher when they were quite brazen about screwing the majority of the population, but I simply cannot see how they can possibly be getting away with this fabrication. keep to the Fen Causeway
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - In a review of ten years of the euro, the European Commission argues the single currency has often suffered from political attacks in countries where it is used, as well as from lacking sufficient weight on the world stage, which Brussels suggests the 16-member to be eurozone could overcome with a single chair at international financial institutions. The euro - established by the then EU leaders ten years ago this month and launched on 1 January 1999 - has been an "unarguable political and economic success," EU economic and monetary affairs commissioner Joaquin Almunia told the European Parliament on Wednesday (7 May). He added however that the public image of the single currency "does not always enjoy the reputation it should do," partly because it frequently becomes a scapegoat for economic problems of individual member countries. In a report adopted by the EU executive on Wednesday, Brussels highlighted the key economic achievements of the euro area, such as "sustained price stability," a fall in average interest rates from nine to five percent, better fiscal policies and creation of 16 million jobs since 1999.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission on Thursday (8 May) said EU consumers are still getting ripped off when they buy airplane tickets online and threatened the industry with "further measures" if the situation does not change within one year. "It is unacceptable that one in three consumers going to book a plane ticket online is being ripped off or mislead and confused," said consumer commissioner Meglena Kuneva when presenting the findings in Brussels. According to the commission, there are still "serious and persistent consumer problems" in the online sale of tickets. The main issues identified were misleading prices - found on 58 percent of the checked websites, and unfair contract terms such as missing or wrong language versions, or pre-checked boxes for optional services - found on 49 percent of the sites. "We will need to see credible evidence of improvement to clean up these sales and marketing practices within the airline sector by 1 May next year or we will be left with no choice but to intervene," namely by starting infringement procedures, Ms Kuneva said.
Why are we asking this now? Wendy Alexander, who leads the Labour Party north of the border, has startled a lot of her political colleagues - not least, Gordon Brown - by suddenly announcing that she wants a referendum on Scottish independence, and she wants it now. "I don't fear the verdict of the Scottish people," she said. "Bring it on." This was a remarkable departure from normal Labour Party policy, which is to preserve the unity of the United Kingdom. Put on the spot, Gordon Brown avoided saying whether he agreed or disagreed, by pretending she had not said what she said. But this is a disagreement about tactics, not about policy. Wendy Alexander does not want Scotland to leave the UK. On the contrary, she is gambling that if asked now, the Scots would say no. The call for an early referendum was meant to wrongfoot the Scottish Nationalist Party, who run Scotland's devolved administration. They also say they want a referendum, but not until 2010.
Why are we asking this now?
Wendy Alexander, who leads the Labour Party north of the border, has startled a lot of her political colleagues - not least, Gordon Brown - by suddenly announcing that she wants a referendum on Scottish independence, and she wants it now. "I don't fear the verdict of the Scottish people," she said. "Bring it on."
This was a remarkable departure from normal Labour Party policy, which is to preserve the unity of the United Kingdom. Put on the spot, Gordon Brown avoided saying whether he agreed or disagreed, by pretending she had not said what she said.
But this is a disagreement about tactics, not about policy. Wendy Alexander does not want Scotland to leave the UK. On the contrary, she is gambling that if asked now, the Scots would say no. The call for an early referendum was meant to wrongfoot the Scottish Nationalist Party, who run Scotland's devolved administration. They also say they want a referendum, but not until 2010.
Being English, I don't really have a dog in this race, except that it will confornt England with some serious governmental problems, not least of which will be a permanent conservative majority. It might also make the Scots realise that their problems aren't about us and they should perhaps stop blaming us for them.
However, genuine regional independence within the EU isn't quite the same as absolute separation. It would be like Texas splitting in two within the US, bruising for some egos but not the end of the world. keep to the Fen Causeway
In addition, I would expect Wales to have its own referendum shortly after a successful Scottish one, especially on the prospect of permanent Tory rule.
The sad part about all this is that Blair botched the devolution to "English regions" and now everyone (wrongly, IMHO) thinks the only solution is an "English Parliament". See this thread where Gary J argues (on my prodding) that England would naturally break into 17 different regions, the only troublesome area being Wessex. When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
In fact, given that the South East is a coherent zone that it would be stupid to break up, that bascially leaves the rest of the country without a sufficient tax base (unless they penalised second home owners from the south east (hahahahaha). keep to the Fen Causeway
On the other hand, Spain's regional parliaments are one of the best things to come out of the 1978 Constitution, as far as the quality of life for the respective regions is concerned. But I agree with
especially if Westminster stays as it is When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
If you add a wider regional level of government on top of that, things may get confusing.
The most important issues are transport infrastructure and energy conservation, and I doubt regional parliaments would be good at either.
What might work is large N/SE/SW regional splits. But you still wouldn't get the full benefit without a push for formal devolution from Westminster, and the idea wouldn't be popular.
With Tories in power it has no chance at all of happening.
You have to remember we have a very different culture here, and it's rare for government to be any good at any level.
We also don't have the regional identities that Spain has. We have Londonandthesoutheast, Up North, and Wessex, which is a bit odd.
So the idea of regionalisation confuses people. It doesn't fit into anything they have experience of, and - unlike Scotland and Wales - it's not a natural trend.
One thing that puzzles me is that the West Lothian question never posed itself in Spain, despite the fact that the plan that the framers of the Constitution of 1978 had in mind was basically for the peripheral regions (Galicia, Basque Country, Catalonia, and maybe Navarra, Andalucia and the islands) to get regional assemblies and having the rest under the National Parliament. In actuality, it took less than 10 years for the entire country to get carved up into 17 regional governments (plus Ceuta and Melilla).
Why was it that all of "Greater Castille" didn't just constitute itself into a single autonomous unit (like the putative English parliament) and instead organised itself into 10 regions? Is it because the mechanism was explicitly bottom-up? Also, the existing Regional organisation from Franco's time greatly influenced (but differs in significant ways) from the current subdivisions. Also note that, just like the Spanish Autonomy Statutes are organic laws of the National Parliament (second only to the Constitution in rank) so the UK's regional assemblies have been created by act of the Westminster Parliament.
Also note that, just like the Spanish Autonomy Statutes are organic laws of the National Parliament (second only to the Constitution in rank) so the UK's regional assemblies have been created by act of the Westminster Parliament.
With the exception of about 4 people in cornwall, the english only speak english. There are regional variations of some words but they don't even make it to the status of a dialect. We just have a wide variety of accents, but they're blurring.
So regionalism confuses us, we can't even decide where the Midlands are or The North starts. keep to the Fen Causeway
With the exception of about 4 people in cornwall, the english only speak english.
Often, not even that.
Snark aside, there would be a lot more interest in a split along racial and religious lines. Little Englanders don't much like brown people, and - realistically - sometimes vice versa. We already have areas of London with strong racial and cultural characteristics but - luckily - there's no precedent for them to try to act independently.
Practically, they really couldn't anyway, not even if they put up barricades. But if we ever had a BNP-type government I wouldn't be even slightly surprised to see the bigger cities splitting up spontaneously into racial ghettos. That would be a very bad thing, but it's a lot easier for people here to imagine that than an England split into
Traditional English regional colour is often really just a fabrication of the heritage and tourism industries. Areas like the Cotswolds have a distinct flavour, but there's nothing political about it - it's about the physical countryside and different kinds of pubs and cottages, not about dialect and identity.
Brussels is eyeing Serbia nervously as May 11 parliamentary elections approach. Polls suggests the ultra-nationalist Radical Party may become the strongest group in parliament, which would mean a foreign policy nightmare for the EU and could exacerbate tensions with ethnic minorities within the country. An elderly supporter of the Serbian Radical Party kisses a picture of war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic during a pre-elections rally in Belgrade. The words "Toma, Toma" reverberate across the market square in Cacak, a small city in southern Serbia. The man on the stage, who is wearing a gray suit, accepts the crowd's homage with a modest smile, at most moving his wad of chewing gum a little faster around in his mouth. The 56-year-old, gray-haired Tomislav "Toma" Nikolic embodies the opposite of what once made his Radical Party of Serbia so popular: its constant boisterousness, its politicians' habit of loudly insulting their political adversaries and threats by its chairman, Vojislav Seselj, to bomb the capitals of the West. But Seselj has been in prison in The Hague for the past five years, where he is on trial for war crimes. Nikolic, his deputy and the party's deputy chairman, as well as a former close associate of deposed Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic, has since guided the party into more moderate waters. Nikolic seems relatively unmoved as he gazes down at a sea of blue balloons and party flags, as well as signs bearing the words "Toma, Save the Starving People."
Brussels is eyeing Serbia nervously as May 11 parliamentary elections approach. Polls suggests the ultra-nationalist Radical Party may become the strongest group in parliament, which would mean a foreign policy nightmare for the EU and could exacerbate tensions with ethnic minorities within the country.
An elderly supporter of the Serbian Radical Party kisses a picture of war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic during a pre-elections rally in Belgrade. The words "Toma, Toma" reverberate across the market square in Cacak, a small city in southern Serbia. The man on the stage, who is wearing a gray suit, accepts the crowd's homage with a modest smile, at most moving his wad of chewing gum a little faster around in his mouth.
The 56-year-old, gray-haired Tomislav "Toma" Nikolic embodies the opposite of what once made his Radical Party of Serbia so popular: its constant boisterousness, its politicians' habit of loudly insulting their political adversaries and threats by its chairman, Vojislav Seselj, to bomb the capitals of the West.
But Seselj has been in prison in The Hague for the past five years, where he is on trial for war crimes. Nikolic, his deputy and the party's deputy chairman, as well as a former close associate of deposed Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic, has since guided the party into more moderate waters. Nikolic seems relatively unmoved as he gazes down at a sea of blue balloons and party flags, as well as signs bearing the words "Toma, Save the Starving People."
Italy's new government on Thursday named Antonio Tajani, from Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, to replace Franco Frattini at the European Commission, a statement said. Each of the EU's 27 member states has a commissioner, although they are supposed to represent EU rather than national interests in their portfolio. Law graduate Tajani will take over the Commission's transport portfolio, where one of the items in his in-tray will be a controversial state loan to troubled Italian airline Alitalia. The Commission has expressed doubts that the loan will meet EU state aid rules. EU Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said late Thursday in a statement he had agreed to Tajani's nomination. Jacques Barrot of France, the current transport commissioner, would take over the justice, freedom and security portfolio from Frattini.
Italy's new government on Thursday named Antonio Tajani, from Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, to replace Franco Frattini at the European Commission, a statement said.
Each of the EU's 27 member states has a commissioner, although they are supposed to represent EU rather than national interests in their portfolio.
Law graduate Tajani will take over the Commission's transport portfolio, where one of the items in his in-tray will be a controversial state loan to troubled Italian airline Alitalia.
The Commission has expressed doubts that the loan will meet EU state aid rules.
EU Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said late Thursday in a statement he had agreed to Tajani's nomination. Jacques Barrot of France, the current transport commissioner, would take over the justice, freedom and security portfolio from Frattini.
President Mikhail Saakashvili said Thursday, May 8, that Georgia had come "very close" to war with Russia and the "threat remained" for a breakout over its breakaway region of Abkhazia. "If anyone wants to annex a part of Georgia, there will inevitably be consequences," Saakashvili told Russian journalists, though he stressed a desire to return to diplomacy. Russia's military announced early Thursday that would increase its troops in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia to counter Georgia's accumulating military forces in the contested region. "All this is done for the sake of only one thing: preserving peace and avoiding bloodshed," read a statement by the defense ministry. Frayed Georgian-Russian relations have long led to sparks in Abkhazia, the autonomy of which has been defended by Russian peacekeepers since a ceasefire ended a civil war in 1994.
"If anyone wants to annex a part of Georgia, there will inevitably be consequences," Saakashvili told Russian journalists, though he stressed a desire to return to diplomacy.
Russia's military announced early Thursday that would increase its troops in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia to counter Georgia's accumulating military forces in the contested region.
"All this is done for the sake of only one thing: preserving peace and avoiding bloodshed," read a statement by the defense ministry.
Frayed Georgian-Russian relations have long led to sparks in Abkhazia, the autonomy of which has been defended by Russian peacekeepers since a ceasefire ended a civil war in 1994.
Today, as on every 9th of May, the European institutions will celebrate Europe Day, highlighting the successes of EU integration. But socialists and other political leaders say the celebration should also offer "a more political debate" about the EU's future direction.
