Social Europe BlogSocial Europe BlogThis is the blog of Social Europe. the journal of the European left. It is a place for debating politics in Europe and beyond. Articles
Europe in the Middle East
2007-12-10 00:16:00 By Christopher McGuiness U.S. President George W. Bush announced Wednesday his first official visit to Israel in January as part of his new campaign to rekindle the Middle East peace process. This declaration comes on the heels of last week’s conference in Annapolis devoted to the same topic. How can history guide such negotiations? With the failures ... More About: Europe , The Middle East
Left in the Distance: Reflections on France?s Banlieue Riots
2007-12-08 00:43:00 By Crispin Williams Barbaric! Savage! These are just some of the terms that have been used to describe the latest round of riots in France ’s troubled banlieues (suburbs). The violence at the end of November in Villiers-le-Bel comes just two years after the riots of 2005, showing that the tensions and problems in these neighbourhoods remain ... More About: Reflections , Left , Riots , Inequality
Left in the Distance: Reflections on France?s Banlieue Riots
2007-12-08 00:43:00 By Crispin Williams Barbaric! Savage! These are just some of the terms that have been used to describe the latest round of riots in France ’s troubled banlieues (suburbs). The violence at the end of November in Villiers-le-Bel comes just two years after the riots of 2005, showing that the tensions and problems in these neighbourhoods remain ... More About: Reflections , Left , Riots , Inequality
The Middle East and the Politics of Oil
2007-12-07 01:57:00 Click below to watch the Global Policy Institute seminar on “The Energy Conundrum”. Speakers were Professor Paul Stevens from Dundee University and Professor George Joffe from the GPI. The seminar took place at Tower Hill, London, on 3rd December 2007 and was part of the GPI’s seminar series on the Middle East . More About: Politics , The Middle East
After the Attack
2007-12-05 09:28:00 By Dexter Thillien The killing on Saturday in France of a Spanish policeman (as well as putting another one in a coma) by 3 members of ETA has put Spain in a state of shock. It was ETA’s first fatal terrorist attack since it officially ended the ceasefire on June 6th, though it had been unofficially ended ... More About: Attack , Atta
Why no Christmas Presents for Children in Iraq and Afghanistan?
2007-12-04 03:00:00 As Christmas approaches, the annual collection of presents gets on the way too. I have come across a few web-based initiatives set up to collect and ship Christmas presents to troops serving overseas, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq . Whereas these collections are undoubtedly noble causes ? even if you disagree with the underlying foreign policies ... More About: Children , Presents
High Savings Ratio in China is a Consequence of ?One Child? Policy
2007-11-30 15:04:00 By Henning Meyer Over the years there have been quite a few discussions about why the savings ratio in China is so exorbitantly high. Data from 2005 shows that Chinese saving was over 50% of GDP, whereas saving in the US is negative and in the UK at a long time low of about 2%. There ... More About: Policy , Child , High , Consequence
Democracy and US Foreign Policy ? What about Pervez Musharraf?
2007-11-28 09:18:00 By Christopher McGuiness Spreading democracy has been a key feature of American foreign policy for centuries, and central to the neoconservative and neoliberal presidential administrative agendas of the past three decades. It is precisely for this reason that President Bush’s recent defence of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is so contradictory. Pakistan has effectively been under martial law ... More About: Terrorism , Policy , Foreign Policy , International Relations
A Leader Without Followers? The United States in World Politics after Bush
2007-11-27 00:08:00 The Policy Paper based on Professor Buzan’s talk (also available as video) with the above title is now available. From the introduction: During the second half of the 20th century, the United States was without question an outstandingly successful leading power. It took over leadership of the West during the Second World War, and used that victory ... More About: Politics , Bush , World Politics
Labor wins in Australia ? What to expect from Kevin Rudd?
2007-11-24 17:27:00 After 11 years in office, the Australia n conservative government will be replaced by a Labor administration following today’s left-wing election victory. Labor leader Kevin Rudd will head a new administration that from day one will be under pressure to deliver. But what sort of political direction can be expected from this coming, rather inexperienced, government? In ... More About: Elections , Media , Expect
France?s ?Mardi Noir? could reveal Europe?s Globalisation Opportunity
2007-11-23 00:22:00 By Crispin Williams ‘Mardi Noir’ shouted the reporter (November 20th) as the camera turned to show chaos on the day that France ground to a halt after widespread industrial action. For some, the chaos signaled the stormy start of President Sarkozy’s bid to modenise the French economy. But for many on the Europe an political left, ‘Black ... More About: China , Africa , Opportunity
Two Visions of Europe?
2007-11-22 13:55:00 By Dexter Thillien Earlier this month, two major speeches were made concerning the future of the EU. The French president Nicolas Sarkozy spoke to the Europe an Parliament in Strasbourg on November 13th while a couple of days later, the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband made a speech to the College of Europe in Bruges. In the light of criticisms of the UK’s attitude during the drafting of the Reform Treaty, especially coming from France, did both speeches show a rapprochement between the visions of the two nations only a few weeks before France takes over the Presidency of the EU? (more…) More About: Visions , Rope
France on Strike - What are the Economic and Political Consequences?
2007-11-21 01:27:00 Watch Jacques Reland, member of Social Europe Forum and Head of European Research at the Global Policy Institute London, comment on the current strikes in France on CNN. What are the economic and political consequences? Will Sarkozy be damaged? When are the disputes likely to be settled? More About: Political , Economic , Strike , Consequences
Consolidating Transatlantic Economic Hegemony
2007-11-19 16:43:00 By Henning Meyer Widely unnoticed by the media on both sides of the Atlantic, the European Union and the United States agreed a new “Framework for Advancing Tran satlantic Economic Integration” earlier this year. A brainchild of the German EU presidency, the framework’s main aims are twofold: internally, the new cooperation should enhance EU and US competitiveness. ... More About: Hegemony , Dati , Soli
Democratic Nomination for the 2008 US Presidential Election
2007-11-19 08:56:00 Without a doubt, the US presidential election is also very closely followed in Europe. The outcome will shape the relationship between Europe and the US for years to come, so we want to know what our readers think about the contenders. Who is your favourite Democratic candidate in the race? Who do you think can ... More About: Nomination , Presidential , Election , Resident
A Leader without Followers? The United States in World Politics after Bush
2007-11-16 00:45:00 Below you have the chance to watch the video of a recent Global Policy Institute seminar titled “A Leader without Followers? The United States in World Politics after Bush ”. The speaker was Barry Buzan, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics. The video also includes a response by Dr David Carlton from the ... More About: World Politics
Losing our Way in the New Century: The Future of the Middle Class
2007-11-14 03:20:00 Watch Princeton economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman speak on the issue of the “Future of the Middle Class ” at the Commonwealth Club of California, touching a series of contemporary political and economic issues. The talk is based on his new book “The Conscience of a Liberal”. More About: The Future , Globalisation
Death to Apathy; or how a Black Guy, a Woman and a Mormon went for an Adven
2007-11-13 16:04:00 By Chris Dalby First of all, this title is not meant as any slight to Senator Obama, Senator Clinton or Governor Romney. It is more to scorn at the childish attitude that the current US presidential campaign has taken. In 2004, a dream surfaced once more, risen as a phoenix from the ashes of broken promises ... More About: Black , Death , Woman , Apathy , Mormon
Rediscovering Thomas Jefferson
2007-10-29 04:33:00 This Jefferson quote is from a letter to George Washington in 1789 and part of an inscription at the Thomas Jefferson memorial in Washington DC. Maybe one should reconsider these thoughts in times of Globalisation : “I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand ... More About: Thomas Jefferson , Erin , Homa
The Future of European Security and Defence: Towards a European Army
2007-10-29 02:03:00 By Angelica Schwall-Düren The idea and plans for a European army were introduced to public discourse as early as the 1940s and 1950s. The Pleven Plan, presented to the French parliament in 1950, called for the creation of a European army, controlled by a European Council of Defence Ministers, a European Defence Minister, and a Supreme ... More About: Security , Future , The Future , Army
Guardian America
2007-10-25 02:22:00 Some of our readers might be interested to learn that the British Guardian newspaper has started an America n version (at least online) called “Guardian America“. The editor is Michael Tomasky and you can read here what he has got to say about the launch.
Progressive Foreign Policy
2007-10-19 05:58:00 By David Held and David Mepham This short essay is concerned with the future direction of foreign policy, a subject explored at greater length in our edited volume, Progressive Foreign Policy (published at the end of August by Polity Press). The essay aims to define a distinctively progressive perspective on foreign policy and to defend this against both ... More About: Foreign Policy , International Relations
Is Political Responsiveness Dead?
2007-10-13 17:00:00 By Henning Meyer Many commentators have been writing about the negative consequences of largely unregulated economic globalisation for quite some time now. We have read time and again about growing inequalities within and between countries, eroding governmental capacities to act, undermining social security and tax systems, putting pressure on wages and adjusting virtually every policy field ... More About: Political , Dead , Globalisation , Politic
Supercapitalism
2007-10-11 07:04:00 Watch Robert Reich, Bill Clinton’s former Secretary of Labor, lecture about his new book “Supercapitalism”. More About: Globalisation
New Diplomacy: Challenges for Foreign Policy
2007-10-11 06:09:00 By David Miliband This is an exciting and important time in British politics. After ten years in government, the Labour Party is seeking under new leadership to set out and deliver a renewed vision for the future of the country that builds on the social, economic and political changes introduced since 1997. The battle of ideas over ... More About: Britain , Policy , Foreign Policy , International Relations , Foreign
5 Myths About Sick Old Europe
2007-10-09 07:20:00 By Steven Hill In the global economy, today’s winners can become tomorrow’s losers in a twinkling, and vice versa. Not so long ago, American pundits and economic analysts were snidely touting U.S. economic superiority to the “sick old man” of Europe . What a difference a few months can make. Today, with the stock market jittery over ... More About: Myths , Sick , Rope
New Social Europe Journal ? European Foreign Policy
2007-10-09 06:58:00 The Summer/Autumn issue of Social Europe Journal is now available for free download (just click here or the picture). This latest issue focuses on European Foreign Policy and contains contributions by the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Javier Solana, Professor David Held from the London School of Economics, German ...
Making Participatory Democracy Work!
2007-10-08 00:07:00 By Henning Meyer The PES has now officially launched its consultation process for the 2009 European Election Campaign manifesto. Here is the first brief contribution about participatory democracy I have submitted: It seems very likely that one of the direct democratic elements of the Constitutional Treaty will be preserved in the coming amendment treaty: The right of ... More About: Elections , Work , Democracy , Social Democracy , Makin
Taking Stock of the Union?s Foreign and Security Policy
2007-10-01 05:41:00 By Javier Solana Earlier this year, the European Union celebrated its 50th birthday. In these 50 years, Europe has been transformed. A continent plagued by wars and confrontations has developed into a community of peace, democracy and prosperity. We have stopped killing each other and started to work together. This did not happen by itself. We built strong ... More About: Security , Stock , Policy , Foreign
New Groupblog at the British Foreign and Commonwelath Office
More articles from this author:2007-10-01 05:05:00 Our readers might be interested in the new blog of the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, that he writes together with some other officials on the FCO wesbite. This blog opens up a new channel for FCO information and feedback. See what Miliband had to say about the start More About: Office , Blog , Reign 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
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