Europe U.S. Allies in Europe Begin to Pull Back
William Pfaff

Five NATO governments made it known that they want American nuclear weapons removed from their territory. They include the Benelux three, together with Germany and Norway. The five reportedly will ask that all the European NATO governments endorse their position before a meeting in New York in May.

Europe's Chance to Punch Its Weight: New Treaty New Influence
Anthony Luzzatto Gardner and Stuart E. Eizenstat

After nearly a decade of acrimonious debate, the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force across the 27 member states of the EU. The treaty reforms EU institutions, making the EU more accountable to voters and enhancing its ability to address European and global challenges. Over the long term, the treaty may make the EU a more coherent international actor

Europe Needs to Lose Belief in Its Own Inadequacy
William Pfaff

Much has been written and said about making the European Union a 'world player.' The Lisbon Treaty was expected to accomplish this by bestowing a president, foreign-policy representative and diplomatic service. It was another expression of Europe's inability to come to terms with the reality of Europe present and past, and thereby liberate its future potentialities.

Who Will Be the New Global King of the Hill
William Pfaff

China and India stopped being part of what was called the third world when the Communist world disappeared in a shattering of global illusions in 1989. Since then there has been a search to find a new King of the Global Hill. The United States rejoiced for a few years in being the sole superpower, considering it an opportunity to remake the world according to its own advantage.

Economic Risk Spooking Investors
Matthew Bandyk

Despite federal spending consuming 27.2 percent of GDP, the United States maintains a Aaa rating. But you can't say the same about many countries in both the developed and developing world where continued fallout from the economic crisis is hurting their credit ratings. As a result, investors have viewed the economic situations in these countries as increasingly risky bets.

For Europe, U.S. Is Country That Cries Wolf
William Pfaff

Officials such as Philip Gordon regularly travel to Europe to ask for support for American initiatives. The Europeans reply that they have not been consulted in making these policies. The Americans say we will be happy to discuss them, but we are putting up most of the men and money, so it's too late to change anything. Maybe next time.

Spain Nudging European Union to Ease Cuba Stand
Andres Oppenheimer

Spain's announcement that it will seek a major improvement in European ties with Cuba's dictatorship once it takes over the presidency of the 27-country European Union on Jan. 1 is bad news not only for pro-democracy activists on the island, but also for oppositionists in several other authoritarian-ruled Latin American countries.

For a Change, Western Europe Doesn't Want to Change
William Pfaff

European voters are moving toward the right, so far as the recent electoral evidence indicates. Even in Portugal, the Socialists -- elected by a landslide four years ago -- lost their parliamentary majority in Sunday's vote, and will be looking for legislative allies

Obama's Missile Defense Concession Holds Opportunity for European Security
Paul J. Saunders

It's a concession, but it could present an opportunity as well. While the move highlights the unhappy geography and tough political choices facing Central European leaders, it could also create an important opportunity to strengthen European security. The administration would do well to use this chance to try to encourage new and different relationships between the former Soviet bloc and Russia.

Puzzling & Dangerous U.S. Foreign Policy Comes to an End
William Pfaff

President Barack Obama's cancellation of his predecessor's missile-defense scheme for Poland and the Czech Republic presumably brings to a close one of the least explicable and most dangerous American policy initiatives since the cold war officially ended.

Britsh prime minister Gordon Brown
(c) Nancy Ohanian

Why Sometimes Pays to Be Like Gordon Brown
by William Pfaff

Flamboyance of the Latin kind gets you into the newspapers, but for bad reasons as well as good.

Nicolas Sarkozy of France is not a man noted for charm but for his unchecked energies and the restless activity. Italy's Silvio Berlusconi is another matter entirely. He is a success in politics apparently because the majority of Italians like him.

Indeed, sometimes pays to be a nondescript politician like Gordon Brown of Britain.

 

Europe: Battle Over the Burqa
by William Pfaff

Since President Barack Obama in his recent Cairo speech made a tut-tutting remark about countries that restricted wearing religious garb in school, the controversy over the Muslim burqa has resumed in Europe

Georgian mafia suspects arrested
Sixty-nine people are arrested in six European countries as part of a co-ordinated police operation against the Georgian mafia.

Sarkozy party facing poll defeat
President Sarkozy's party faces defeat from the Socialists in regional elections, which also saw a strong National Front showing.

Irish Catholic leader in 'cover-up'
The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland says he will only resign over an alleged abuse "cover-up" if the Pope asks him to do so.

EU 'nearing' Greece bail-out deal
The EU is putting the finishing touches to a multi-billion euro bail-out for Greece after weeks of crisis, senior officials tell the BBC.

Brown says BA strike 'deplorable'
Prime Minister Gordon Brown says a planned strike by British Airways cabin staff is "unjustified" and comes at the "wrong time".

French singer Ferrat dies aged 79
French singer and songwriter Jean Ferrat, whose communist views saw many of his songs banned from broadcast in the 1960s, dies aged 79.

Woman freed in Vilks 'death plot'
A US woman held in Ireland over an alleged plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist is freed, as three others are still questioned.

Hungarian Vizsla, Yogi, wins Crufts
A Hungarian Vizsla named Yogi wins Best In Show at Crufts, at the end of the four-day show in Birmingham.

Suspected Eta man held in London
A suspected member of the Basque separatist group Eta is arrested in London.

Panic in Georgia as bogus TV report says Russia has invaded
Panic is sparked in Georgia after a bogus TV news report said Russian tanks had invaded and the president was dead.

French voters' frustrations reflected in snub to Sarkozy
French voters' frustrations reflected in snub to Sarkozy

Beckham poised to miss World Cup
David Beckham's dream of playing in a fourth World Cup with England looks to be over after he tears his left Achilles tendon in AC Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo.

Wallenberg case
Revisiting story of Holocaust hero

Wembley's secret
How German POWs helped build an English icon

Port exports
Portuguese exporters hit by strong euro

Spoil sports?
The rules children must obey in Berlin, Paris, Rome and NY

In pictures
Secrets of Italian artist Caravaggio in the frame

Slap for Sarkozy
Gavin Hewitt on how mid-term polls are seen in France

Thousands protest against Italy's PM
Tens of thousands of Italians stage a protest in central Rome against the government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

US and Russia 'near' nuclear deal
Russia and the US are close to concluding a new nuclear disarmament treaty, officials in Washington and Moscow say.

Vatican defends Pope in abuse row
The Vatican denounces efforts to involve the Pope in a child abuse scandal dating back to his time as archbishop in Germany.

Portugal passes austerity budget
Portugal's parliament backs an austerity budget aimed at cutting its deficit to the level permitted for countries using the euro.

Calls to raise crime age rejected
The age of criminal responsibility will stay at 10, the government says, after a senior adviser for England calls for it to be raised.

Vauxhall gets UK loans guarantee
The UK announces a 300m-euro (£270m) loan guarantee for Vauxhall and Opel, the European arm of General Motors.

Eurozone industry grows strongly
Factory output in the eurozone rose 1.7% between December and January, the biggest monthly rise since records began.

Purple People v Berlusconi
The new mass movement against Italy's Berlusconi

EU revamps search for top talent
EU launches new tests in bid to attract top talent

Russia's cyber-warriors
Russian technology students excel at computer hacking

Were Sarkozy rumours a hoax?
Were rumours of Sarkozy's infidelity a media hoax?

Sailing boost for west of Ireland
West of Ireland to cash in on World Ocean race in 2012

In pictures: Greek strike protest
Greek general strike leads to street clashes

Dry Cyprus 'at war' with nature
Politicians look away as Cyprus dies of drought

Tracking brown bears in Greece
Tracking brown bears through their curious behaviour

BBC News | Europe | World Edition
Get the latest BBC News from Europe: headlines, features and analysis from BBC correspondents across the European Union, EU, and the rest of Europe.

 

Greece: Pulling Its Neighbors Down with It
Greece's debt is a serious issue, and coming up with a plan for going forward is also very much a problem for the European Union.

Screen Wars
An ongoing battle between Rupert Murdoch, Silvio Berlusconi and Muammar al-Gaddafi involves adult television programming, an ultraviolent war film, and lots of money and bitterness flying around.

Karen Refugees Have a White Christmas in Ireland
With the level of destruction in Burma on scale with Darfur, some Karen refugees are resettling in the cold climate of Ireland.

Copenhagen: No Failure, but Just Not Good Enough
The result of the Copenhagen summit ended up being a small, creaking movement of the world's political machinery, while the polar ice caps continue to melt without hesitation.

Ukraine: Where Are You Going?
In these hard economic times, Ukraine is struggling to pull itself out of Russia's shadow and out of debt, aiming to establish itself as a viable free-market state.

U.N. Has the Potential to Overcome Challenges
With the United Nations struggling to maintain its relevence in the modernized world, its relationship with the European Union is proving to be an important one.

Copenhagen Climate Summit
With the U.N. Climate Change Conference in its final week, Worldpress.org reviews a sample of the varied assessments so far from around the globe.

War in the Caucasus
The ongoing tensions between the countries of the Caucasus, which can be traced back over a century, threaten to destabilize not only the region but also the Western nations connected economically.

Two New Positions in the European Union
Two relatively unknown politicians have been appointed to top spots in the E.U. The jury will be out for a while on the level of effect they will have.

World Bank Reforms: Tough Decisions Needed on Four Critical Issues
Reforms of the World Bank should be part of a coordinated global effort to make poverty history.

Investment Hopes in Lithuania
In the gloomy downturn of the economic market, Lithuania is seeing some light, with investment prospects coming from global sources.

Students Fret over Loan Program in Lithuania
The state-supported student loan system is under fire in Lithuania, with many arguing that students financial situations are getting increasingly worse.

Forgive, Forget
Twenty years after the fall of the Wall, the controversial lustration process is still in deep waters, with many wondering whether rummaging archives still makes sense.

An Open Letter to Ukrainian President Yushchenko
An open letter to Ukrainian President Yushchenko

G-20: New Clout, New Responsibilities
The G-20 has asserted itself as the leading international body in addressing global issues, and it may be the world's best ally in confronting the economic crisis.

Albania: A Dubious Government and a Missing Opposition
Amidst serious economic problems, a flawed election and an ineffective Parliament, the situation in Albania looks gloomy at the moment.

Transitional Justice at 20
Over the years the lustration process in Southeast Europe has grown more intractable as it has become an instrument of political maneuver and manipulation.

Interview with Claudia Kissling
Am Johal interviewed Kissling in Berlin to discuss the possibilities of a World Assembly and how the United Nations might be involved in supporting it.

Caucasus: The Powder Barrel of Europe
The Caucasus region is rife with conflict-its countries battling over resources, military might, political leverage-and its near future could prove to be increasingly explosive.

Winds of Change in Turkish-Kurdish Relations
After decades of conflict and repressive policies, Turkey appears to finally be making legitimate steps to resolve longstanding conflicts with its Kurdish population.

Neglected Arms Control
With military conflict threatening in hot spots around the world, years of complacency about arms control are now taking their toll.

Lifting the Wall
The European Commission-proposed visa liberalization for Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro could end a costly ritual for people traveling abroad. Kosovo, Bosnia and Albania, though, were excluded from the recommendation.

Albanian Elections Produce Unstable Parliament
Although Albania's recent elections demonstrated progress in some respects, the sum of those parts may be little to no progress at all.

Romania Headed toward National Bankruptcy
Mismanagement, corruption and theft on a very broad scale have brought Romania to disaster.

Ceuta, the Border-fence of Europe
In the autonomous city of Ceuta, African refugees find temporary asylum leading nowhere, unable to cross into Spain, unwilling to return to the countries whence they came.

Romania Headed toward National Bankruptcy
The degree to which the Romanian economy has begun to crumble, in both the state and private sectors, puts the country at imminent risk or national bankruptcy.

The Pros and Cons of the Albanian Parliamentary Elections
Whoever wins the June 28 election, it will bring major changes to Albania.

European News from World Press Review
World News Review

 

French voters deliver blow to Sarkozy
French voters deliver a rebuke to the government of Nicolas Sarkozy with opposition parties winning an unprecedented share of the vote in the first round of regional elections

Lagarde criticises Berlin policy
Germany's trade surpluses built on holding down labour costs may be unsustainable for the other countries in the eurozone, France's finance minister said in an unusually blunt warning to Berlin

Eurozone to agree Greek safety net
Eurozone finance ministers hope to reach agreement on how to support Greece if it fails to refinance its debts

Russia polls to be litmus test
Local elections were held across Russia on Sunday in what analysts say are a litmus test of new political freedoms promised by Dmitry Medvedev, president

Fake broadcast sparks Georgian fears
A Georgian television channel is struggling to explain a fake news report that Russia had invaded and taken power, and that President Mikahil Saakshvili had been killed

UK private equity body calls for block on EU reforms
London buy-out bosses have mounted an attempt to derail plans to tighten European Union hedge fund and private equity regulations, arguing they threaten the UK's national strategic interest

Anglo-French defence: Entente nouvelle
Geopolitical shifts and strained budgets are pushing Europe's military powers towards co-operation, despite longstanding rivalries

Shrink the eurozone, or create a fiscal union
Germany's EMF idea is just a smokescreen. It is not about helping countries in trouble. It is about helping them to get out of the eurozone, writes Wolfgang Münchau

Cut dividends, up capital, Draghi tells Italy banks
Bank of Italy Governor Mario Draghi has sent a letter to Italy's banks urging them to direct profits towards strengthening their capital base rather than distributing dividends

Sweden joins Turkey to condemn genocide vote
The foreign ministers of Turkey and Sweden condemned a vote in the Swedish parliament that defined the early 20th-century killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide

Swedish genocide vote angers Turks
Sweden scrambled to contain damage to ties with Turkey after its parliament labelled as genocide the Ottoman-era killings of Armenians, a week after a similar vote by...

President promises pause in reforms
Nicolas Sarkozy, French president, appeared to anticipate a defeat in regional elections yesterday when he promised a "pause" next year in his drive to reform France,...

Greater calm needed in Berlin
I hope it is not a breach of etiquette to criticise a guest writer in the FT. But I thought that the piece in today's paper on the euro by Wolfgang Schäuble, the...

Yanukovich appointee creates storm
Opposition leaders condemn the appointment of Yuriy Boyko as energy minister, seeing it as a takeover of energy policy by businessmen linked to Rosukrenergo

Dutch Labour party leader stands down
The party announces a sudden change of leader, just three months ahead of a general election, after increasing alarm inside the established parties at the ascendancy of Geert Wilders

FT.com - World, Europe
FT.com - World, Europe

 

An Election Debacle for Sarkozy: French Voters Punish President
With record low turnout, French voters expressed their disillusionment with the country's politics and with their president this weekend. Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative party trailed the Socialists and could face a debacle during a second-round of voting next Sunday.

Scandal Widens: Pope Remains Silent as Abuse Allegations Hit Close to Home
Allegations of sexual abuse in the German Catholic Church continue to surface. Questions have been raised about what Pope Benedict XVI may have known about specific incidents of abuse and his brother, Georg Ratzinger, is also under fire. The pope, however, has so far remained silent.

EU Economic Policy: France Urges Germany to Curb Export Surplus
The crisis-plagued EU is gearing up for some Germany-bashing: French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has urged Germany to rein in its trade surplus, arguing that its export strength is hurting weaker economies. The German government is bracing itself for a fight.

Sarkozy's Crisis: A Weary French President Battons Down Hatches for Tough Regional Elections
He's unpopular, he's isolated and he has made enemies within his own party. President Nicolas Sarkozy is having trouble finding any success. Regional elections across the country threaten to turn into a debacle for the French leader's conservative UMP party.

Picture This: Religious Observances

Germany's Catholic Private School Abuse Scandal: 'The Church Is Not a Criminal Organization'
Accusations of abuse have been reported in 20 of 27 German Catholic dioceses. Has abuse of children become systematic? In a SPIEGEL ONLINE interview, Johannes Siebner, director of the College St. Blasien, discusses failures of the Church in dealing with the victims.

The World From Berlin: 'There is No Alternative' to the Euro
Another general strike in Greece shut the financially beleaguered nation down on Thursday. But German commentators see a glimmer of hope, and now nobody -- including Germany's finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble -- believes there is any danger to the euro's long-term survival.

Interview with Defense Expert P.W. Singer: 'The Soldiers Call It War Porn'
US defense expert P.W. Singer from the Brookings Institution talks to SPIEGEL ONLINE about the stresses that drone pilots are subjected to and the risk of emotional exhaustion and burnout. The whole experience of war is being changed by the new technology, he argues.

Interview with a Drone Pilot: 'It Is Not a Video Game'
US Major Bryan Callahan is a pilot. But while he sits in front of a monitor in America, his plane is flying over Afghanistan. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, he speaks about what flying drones is like, the difficulties of waging war in shifts and the daily stresses of his job.

'Finger of God': The German Army's Enthusiasm for Drones
For a long time the German army in Afghanistan only used drones to spy on the Taliban. But since German officers experienced their potentially lethal impact in a strike last year, they have been enthusiastic about these silent, airborne weapons.

In the Crosshairs: How al-Qaida & Co. Are Responding to Drone Warfare
Militant jihadists in Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia are becoming increasingly afraid of US drones. Despites their boasts of having shot down dozens of aircraft, they have yet to come up with effective countermeasures.

Putting Islamabad in a Tight Spot: How the CIA Uses Pakistan as a Launch Pad for Drones
Pakistan may be the epicenter of the CIA's drone war against the Taliban, but there is massive resistance to the campaign from the Pakistani population. The US is forcing Islamabad to perform a difficult balancing act.

The Debate on Push-Button War: Are Drones Worth Their Drawbacks?
Although the United States' drone war has succeeded in killing a number of terrorist leaders, many worry that the price in civilian casualties is too high and its ultimate effectiveness too illusory. But that isn't stopping the Obama administration from expanding the project's activities and increasing its funding.

Remote Warriors: How Drone Pilots Wage War
Drone pilots sit in air-conditioned rooms far away from the anti-terror wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They guide their weapons systems with joysticks and monitors. The remote warriors work with a high degree of precision -- and at a fraction of the cost of a fighter jet.

Killer App: Drones Are Lynchpin of Obama's War on Terror
CIA drones are killing terrorists -- and civilians -- in Pakistan almost every day. The unmanned aircraft are becoming the weapon of choice in the fight against al-Qaida and its allies. But the political, military and moral consequences are incalculable. SPIEGEL ONLINE has investigated Barack Obama's remote-controlled campaign against terrorism.

Reconstruction of a Mass Hysteria: The Swine Flu Panic of 2009
Swine flu kept the world in suspense for almost a year. A massive vaccination campaign was mounted to put a stop to the anticipated pandemic. But, as it turned out, it was a relatively harmless strain of the flu virus. How, and why, did the world overreact? A reconstruction. By SPIEGEL staff.

Hands Off our Shackles, Please: The Debate Over German Security Policies
Two decades after reunification, the German decision to call in a NATO air strike on fuel trucks in the Kunduz province of Afghanistan is a test of Germany's maturity. But even the handling of this incident has already turned a harsh spotlight on the shortcomings of Berlins security policy.

Waiting for the Rain: Haiti's Next Disaster Looms
Only weeks after the country was hit by an earthquake, Haiti is threatened by the next potential calamity. The upcoming rainy season could turn overcrowded refugee camps into hotbeds of disease. And there has been criticism of the local government for not doing more to provide emergency accommodation.

Countdown on the Baltic Sea: Will Baby Herring and Conservationists Delay Russo-German Pipeline?
Preparations are fast taking shape for the construction of the controversial Nord Stream natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany this spring. But it still faces a legal challenge in Germany from environmentalists, and critics say the project could disrupt the spring spawning of the herring found in the western Baltic Sea.

Picture This: Break Time

SPIEGEL ONLINE - International
Daily news, analysis and opinion from Europe's leading newsmagazine and Germany's top news Web site.

 

Charlemagne : Juggling Europe's stars

The new president of the European Council will be worth watching

TO ENGLISH ears, the word “compromise” often has a shabby ring. When safety or quality are compromised, people get hurt. Yet in continental Europe, compromise is often a political ideal. Nowhere is this truer than in Belgium, a country whose Dutch- and French-speaking populations tolerate each other (just), thanks to endless fudges and deals lubricated with taxpayers’ money. Belgium’s six governments are all baggy coalitions that balance social-market capitalism with a free-spending public sector (one in three active adults works for the state).

A third of parliamentarians from Flanders would like Belgium to vanish, says one senior politician. Belgian governments fall often, yet the place trundles along because most leaders agree to disagree. One thing that unites them is faith in deeper European integration. Apart from those on the extreme right, most Belgian politicians would welcome European Union taxes, a European army and nation-states reduced to a vestigial role. It is not hard to see why: to Belgian leaders trapped in the national equivalent of a bad marriage, the EU’s free love must look like bliss. ...

Slovakia's disturbing patriotism: Culture creep

The Slovak leader deploys national culture as a political weapon

IN THE run-up to Slovakia’s parliamentary election in June, Robert Fico, prime minister and leader of the centre-left Smer party (pictured), is busy bolstering his nationalist credentials. His supporters say that ordering schoolchildren to sing the national anthem is just an example of a legitimate effort by a newish country to strengthen its sense of self (Slovakia became fully independent only in 1993, after the break-up of Czechoslovakia). Critics find Mr Fico’s cocktail of history and culture stodgy or downright creepy.

The focus of protests is a new “patriotic act” just passed by parliament that awaits presidential approval. It mandates weekly anthem-playing in all state educational establishments. School officials who disobey risk being sacked. Its champion is Jan Slota, the bombastic leader of a nationalist party that is part of Mr Fico’s coalition. Mr Fico himself takes a softer line, defending only what he calls “reasonable historicism”. But even this is sparking angry squabbles over Slovakia’s past. ...

Home births in Hungary: Difficult delivery

The pioneer of home births in Hungary faces jail

IF HISTORY were a guide, obstetrics in Hungary should be wonderful. In 1847 Ignac Semmelweis pioneered mother-friendly childbirth, insisting that doctors should wash their hands between autopsy and delivery rooms (they objected to this slur on gentlemanly cleanliness).

Obstetric care in Hungary is indeed excellent today. It is tightly run by skilled doctors, with low mortality rates. But those who challenge the medical profession still face problems. Agnes Gereb, a pioneer of home births, is facing up to eight years in jail. Prosecutors are going after her over one fatality in childbirth, one case in which a baby died some months after birth and two births that ended up as emergency hospital admissions. In the eyes of many Hungarians, such incidents show that home births are insanely risky and that those who promote them are little more than irresponsible cranks. ...

Italy's regional elections: Berlusconi's burlesque

A farcical failure to register candidates in time

THE elections on March 28th and 29th in 13 of Italy’s 20 regions were meant to seal Silvio Berlusconi’s resurgence after a run of scandals over his private life. Eleven regions are held by the centre-left opposition. The prime minister, coasting on a wave of sympathy after an attack by a mentally unstable man in December, had hoped his People of Freedom (PdL) movement might oust up to five centrist and left-wing governors. But its campaign is in chaos—and the government’s ratings are plunging.

To think that it all started with a bread roll. That is what Alfredo Milioni, a former bus-driver charged with registering the PdL’s candidates in Lazio (which includes Rome), first said had lured him from the queue at the electoral office on February 27th. He later offered two other explanations for missing the deadline. Party leaders claimed he had fallen into a trap set by the opposition. But nobody disputes that he returned after the deadline had expired. Electoral officials duly refused to accept the PdL’s slate. That, and two failed court appeals, has left the ruling party out of the race in Lazio, one of five potential swing regions. It was almost excluded in Lombardy too, this time because some of its signatures seemed dubious. ...

The Cyprus talks: A fillip for Talat?

An international court ruling injects new life into fast-fading peace talks

ON ANY small Mediterranean island, property is jealously protected. Orange and olive groves can be as valued as posh villas and sea views. Nowhere more than in Cyprus, split into Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot zones ever since Turkish troops invaded in 1974 after a coup aimed at Enosis, or unification with Greece.

For Greek-Cypriots who lost homes and businesses in the north, a settlement on property is key to reunifying the island. “Who gets their home back, who gets another property in exchange, who gets compensation: this is what really matters,” says a seasoned observer of the Cyprus talks. In 18 months of UN-sponsored negotiations, Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat, respectively the Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot leaders, have broadly agreed over how a bizonal, bicommunal Cyprus should be governed. But they have avoided discussing in any detail the thorniest issues, including property. ...

France's regional elections: The strange unpopularity of Nicolas Sarkozy

The ruling party of Nicolas Sarkozy is bracing itself for a bad result in France’s regional elections

THIS ought to be a buoyant time for Nicolas Sarkozy. France’s economy is holding up better than its neighbours’: GDP rose by 0.6% in the fourth quarter of 2009 over the previous quarter, whereas it was flat in Germany. No big French bank has had to be rescued, nor has there been a wave of mortgage repossessions. The top 40 quoted companies have just reported combined profits of €47 billion ($64 billion) for 2009. The French president has a big parliamentary majority and faces no credible opposition leader. He even has a popular prime minister, Francois Fillon.

Yet Mr Sarkozy faces an imminent political humiliation, as disillusioned voters snub him in regional elections. The two-round poll, being held on March 14th and 21st, will elect governments in France’s 22 mainland regions (plus four overseas). All the opinion polls agree that the results will be terrible for Mr Sarkozy’s ruling UMP party. As it is, the party runs only Alsace and Corsica. With turnout likely to be low, and uncertainty over the vote for the far-right National Front, there could still be a surprise. But even the UMP has resigned itself to at best one region gained—and, at worst, Corsica and even Alsace lost. ...

German church scandals: Abuse and counterabuse

Child-abuse scandals in the Catholic church come a bit nearer the pope

THE Domspatzen have been singing in Regensburg, Bavaria, for a thousand years. But in the 1960s some choirboys there were victims of a “refined system of sadistic punishments connected with sexual lust”, according to Franz Wittenbrink, a composer who attended the choir’s boarding school until 1967. Their traumas are among scores of cases coming to light at Catholic institutions across Germany and elsewhere in Europe, mostly decades after the crimes were committed. The church is struggling to dispel the impression that it is the most flagrant abuser of its own principles. And Germany’s political leaders seem torn between their concern for children’s welfare and their ties to the church.

Christianity matters in Germany. Around two-thirds of west Germans identify themselves as Catholics or Protestants. Christians who pay income tax hand over an extra “church tax” that accounts for two-thirds of church revenue. Germans are not devout: 4% of Protestants and 14% of Catholics in the west are weekly churchgoers. But, says Detlef Pollack of the Wilhelms University in Munster, many count on the church to succour the sick, to offer counsel in times of need or to educate their children. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Chancellor Angela Merkel, daughter of a Protestant pastor, has its roots in the pre-war Centre Party, which was closely linked to the Catholic church. ...

Silvio Berlusconi and the courts: Impunity time

Italy’s prime minister becomes an unlikely crusader against corruption

LAUGH or cry? On March 1st Silvio Berlusconi’s cabinet approved an anti-corruption bill just two days after the resumption of the prime minister’s trial for allegedly bribing a court witness.

David Mills, the British lawyer who was the witness, had already been convicted of accepting a $600,000 bribe. Mr Mills took the money for withholding evidence at two trials in the 1990s in which his client was a defendant. But on February 25th his offence was extinguished by Italy’s highest appeal court. The judges decided it had been committed three months earlier than previously reckoned and was thus covered by a statute of limitations. The time limit had been shortened by Mr Berlusconi’s previous government, one of several measures pushed through that make it exceptionally hard to secure a conclusive conviction for any white-collar crime in Italy. ...

Correction: Dutch politics

Last week's story on the Netherlands said that calls for a cordon sanitaire on Geert Wilders's Freedom Party would not go down well with the 10% of the voters who are foreign-born. It meant to say that isolating the party would not go down well with its many voters (very few of whom are foreign-born). Sorry.

...

Charlemagne: Europe's hypochondriacs

Most Europeans are doing better than they think, and can take more fiscal austerity

IMAGINE two cousins. One comes from continental Europe, France, perhaps. A hypochondriac, his life is filled with vague complaints—stress, fatigue and mysterious aches—for which he takes fistfuls of pills. He is sure that strenuous exercise is a menace to his fragile health. The other cousin is American (or British, take your pick), a risk-taker devoted to extreme sports. Shunning doctors, he feels as strong as an ox, although he has been drinking and overeating for years. Eventually, in 2008, he succumbs to a massive heart attack while out jogging. As far as his French cousin is concerned, a deep truth has thus been confirmed: that exercise is bad for you.

Substitute free-market competition for exercise, and you have the European debate over the financial crisis. Sober discussion about how to manage the instability of markets is giving way to a simpler fable. Too many voters now believe that the credit crunch has proved that globalisation is bad for you. And too many politicians are happy to endorse such views. In a televised meeting with voters in January the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, denounced Renault for planning to build a new car in Turkey, saying “I do not accept that cars sold in France should be manufactured abroad.” ...

The Balkans and international justice: Stand and deliver

More arrests and court cases revive bad Balkan memories

FROM one end of former Yugoslavia to the other, people are worrying about justice. On March 1st Radovan Karadzic, the former Bosnian Serb leader, opened his defence at his war-crimes trial in The Hague. British police arrested Ejup Ganic, a wartime Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) leader, at Heathrow airport at the request of Serbia. And in Spain a Montenegrin alleged to have murdered and raped in Sarajevo during the war was arrested at the request of the Bosnians.

Since the Karadzic arrest in 2008, only two Serbs have been left on the wanted list of The Hague war-crimes tribunal. The most important is Ratko Mladic, who led Bosnian Serb forces during the war and is believed to be hiding somewhere in Serbia. Serbia’s president, Boris Tadic, has been trying to persuade the Serbian parliament to pass a resolution to condemn and commemorate the murder of up to 8,000 Bosniaks by Bosnian Serb troops in Srebrenica in 1995. ...

The Icesave referendum: No, thanks

The ramifications of a likely no vote may not be pleasant

ICELAND’S president is usually an apolitical and little-known figurehead. But Olafur Ragnar Grimsson has become a national hero for his refusal to sign a law passed narrowly in late December by the Althingi, Iceland’s parliament, to repay Britain and the Netherlands. The British and Dutch governments had felt obliged to bail out their depositors in Icesave, a bust internet operation owned by Landsbanki, a failed Icelandic bank, and they now expect Iceland to reimburse them. But thanks to the president’s obduracy, the law is going to a referendum on March 6th, and it seems certain to be rejected by a huge majority.

The voters and the president will doubtless rejoice, but the aftermath of a negative vote may not be good for either the country or its government. Johanna Sigurdardottir, the prime minister, leads a coalition that was shaky before the vote and could yet collapse altogether. Even more worrying is the knock-on effect for Iceland’s $4.6 billion IMF programme. The fund says that this should not depend on the Icesave dispute. But the Nordic countries that are offering bilateral loans in support of the IMF’s rescue package are refusing to go ahead. Without their backing, the IMF deal is frozen. The financial pressure is mounting. To satisfy its creditors, Iceland must find some $2 billion in 2011 and $500m in 2012. Moody’s has given warning that the dwindling chances of a deal over Icesave may lead it to join other rating agencies in downgrading Iceland’s debt to junk. ...

Energy security in Europe: Central questions

United in the cause of undermining Russian pipeline monopolies

DOES “Central Europe” exist? It depends on the political climate. Amid worries that France and Germany are stitching up the European Union’s decision-making, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia are reviving their ties and pushing shared ideas on energy security and relations with the east.

The alliance began in Visegrad, a Hungarian town, in 1991, when even the EU’s waiting-room seemed distant. Once dreams of joining Western clubs became reality, co-operation all but dissolved. New members shunned anything that made them seem different from the rest. Squabbles, most recently over the treatment of ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia, dominated Visegrad meetings. Some even suggested winding the club up. ...

Spain and ETA: Gone fishing

More high-level captures point to a systematic weakening of ETA

ANOTHER big fish from the violent Basque separatist group, ETA, was caught this week. On February 28th Ibon Gogeaskoetxea, ETA’s military boss, was arrested at a country cottage in Normandy, in north-west France. Two of ETA’s experienced assassins, Jose Ayestaran and Beinat Aginagalde, were taken with him.

The arrests offer further proof of ETA’s decline. Mr Gogeaskoetxea, who once tried to kill King Juan Carlos, is the fifth military chief to be captured in just two years. He was in charge for only ten months. Mr Ayestaran and Mr Aginagalde were apparently preparing a kidnapping and bombing campaign in Spain. Several remote-controlled bombs were found. This is the third time in recent weeks that the police have foiled attempts to send ETA terrorists into Spain. ...

Greece's fiscal crisis: Now comes the pain

The government’s new austerity measures may prove to be enough—so long as they are fully implemented

GEORGE PAPACONSTANTINOU, the overworked Greek finance minister, likens the effort to steer Greece away from economic disaster to “changing the course of the Titanic.” Until this week it looked as if the country was headed for an iceberg labelled default. Two austerity packages had failed to convince Greece’s European partners—or the financial markets—that measures to cut the budget deficit this year from 12.7% of GDP to 8.7% would work.

Critics in Brussels said that Greece’s Socialist government was relying too heavily on pledges to cut tax evasion and soak the rich, rather than slash spending, especially on public-sector pay and pensions. The markets pushed spreads on Greek bonds over their German equivalents to record highs. Greece’s ten-year bonds were offering mouth-watering yields of some 6%, twice the German level. ...

Latvia and Greece: Baltic thaw, Aegean freeze

Latvia’s economic free fall has halted, and it may now do better than Greece

DOOM-MONGERS are licking their wounds. For two years bankers have said that a Latvian devaluation was inevitable. The struggle to save the lat’s peg to the euro was bound to end in tears. And a panic in Latvia could topple the wobbly economies of Estonia and Lithuania, which have similar exchange-rate regimes, with repercussions extending across eastern Europe and to Scandinavian banks that lent recklessly in the Baltics.

Yet despite a fall in GDP last year of 17.5%, Latvia seems to have achieved something many thought impossible: an internal devaluation. This meant regaining competitiveness not by currency depreciation but by deep cuts in wages and public spending. In a recent discussion of Greece, Jorg Asmussen, a German minister, praised Latvia for its self-discipline. ...

France's Socialist Party: Fresh troubles

A scandal in the south-west shows up the metropolitan party’s weaknesses

HIS detractors call him an incorrigible racist with a “dictator-like personality”. One likens him to Mussolini. His supporters insist he is brave, authentic and in tune with plain-talking local attitudes. Georges Freche, president of Languedoc-Roussillon, is an old-style Socialist baron. But his uncanny ability to offend everybody, from black footballers to Jews, has pitched him into battle against his party bosses—and reawakened anti-Parisianism on the left.

Mr Freche has a record of gaffes. Three years ago, he was expelled by the party for complaining of too many black players in France’s football team. “There are nine blacks out of 11,” he said. “Ordinarily, there should be three or four.” He called harkis, Algerians who fought for France in the war of independence, “subhuman”. Now he has said Laurent Fabius, a Socialist ex-prime minister of Jewish origin, has “not a Catholic face”. ...

The Dutch government falls: Wild things

The far right promises to do disturbingly well on June 9th

Correction to this article

GOVERNMENT crises in the Netherlands tend to be played out with little international publicity. But when the Dutch coalition cabinet fell on February 20th it was done messily and in public—and the ripples were felt as far away as Afghanistan, drawing the world’s attention. ...

Charlemagne: Europe's bear problem

The trouble with the European Union’s attempts to woo Russia

ASK some west Europeans why they disliked George Bush’s America, and you will receive complaints about values and talk of American militarism and nationalism. You may hear Mr Bush accused of calling the European Union an ally but working to divide the block into friends and foes. Or you may get grumbles about anti-terrorist work undermining the rule of law. Foot-dragging on climate change might come up, or the power of Big Oil. So might social values: the religiosity of the Bushies, even their hostility to gay rights or their macho love of hunting.

Yet here is an odd thing. Those same “un-European” values can be observed in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, but do not cause similar offence, at least in the chancelleries of western Europe. The EU leaders who clashed most with Mr Bush swooned over Mr Putin. Germany’s Gerhard Schroder described the Russian as a “flawless democrat”. France’s Jacques Chirac called Mr Putin a personal friend. (To be fair, Mr Bush himself started it all when he famously looked into Mr Putin’s eyes in Ljubljana in 2001.) ...

The Economist: Europe
Europe

 

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euronews
The leading European News TV-channel. All the International news in seven languages.

 

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Frustrated UN climate change chief quits after Copenhagen flops
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Clash of the Titans
Washingtonrsquo;s announcement in February that it plans to construct missile defense elements anti-missiles in Romania and Bulgaria in the Black Sea water area angered Russia with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov demanding an explanation for the ldquo;surpriserdquo; decision by Bulgaria which was reputedly the Soviet Unionrsquo;s staunchest ally in communist times. Europe...

Member States expect to meet EUs renewable target
The EU will meet its 2020 20% renewable energy target - slightly exceeding it - according to an analysis by the European Wind Energy Association EWEA nbsp;of all 27 Member Statesrsquo; national forecast documents. The EWEA analysis shows that EU member states are on course to achieve over 20% renewable energy...

OECD wants Chinese change on welfare fiscal policies currency
Chinarsquo;s weak yuan which is undercutting the ability of the European Union and United States to gain a foothold in that Asian countryrsquo;s market and difficult to compete with Chinese goods around the world should be devalued the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD said. But soon after...

Misunderstanding China
Speaking at a meeting organised by the EU And Asia Policy Forum at the European Policy Centre leading Chinese scholar Jianxiong Ge said that the EU needed a greater understanding of the cultural and historical roots that underpinned Chinese foreign policy. Using maps he illustrated how the different regions of...

Ashton calls for the EUs soft power to be smart power too
Already on the hot seat little more than a month into the job the European Unionrsquo;s new de facto Foreign Minister said she believes the EU canrsquo;t rely on its vaunted ldquo;soft powerrdquo; strategy of negotiation but must be hard at times when dealing with affairs both foreign and domestic....

Pensions joblessness scrutinized by EU Crisis Committee
With more than 23 million unemployed in the Europe Union and the jobless figure having risen in every member state since last year how Europe is coping with the crisis and the effect on pension systems got the attention of the European Parliamentrsquo;s special Crisis Committee but no answers although...

Cautious NATO moves closer to China and India but not Russia
With the Cold War long over but hot wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continuing NATO is re-thinking its mission and finding itself leaning more toward relations with China India and even Pakistan but still doesnrsquo;t know what to do about Russia even though Russian President Dimitry Medvedevrsquo;s institute said his...

Where does all the money go? EU lawmakers dont want you to know
The European Parliament is bracing itself for public outrage as a new report into its spending is being finalized. The new report a copy of which was obtained by New Europe was scathing about what it said was the Parliamentrsquo;s inability to account for its finances. Written by MEP Bart...

MEPs spending spree forces paybacks but the names are being kept secret
Concerns are mounting that the EU could soon face an expenses scandal that could dwarf the ongoing saga of British MPs that caused widespread public outrage leading some British lawmakers to go into hiding. It was recently discovered that undisclosed MEPs had repaid more than euro;3.4 million in ldquo;wrongly claimedrdquo;...

United We Stand
A much-ballyhooed European Union Summit to decide whether to give Greecersquo;s rapidly failing economy a financial boost produced only general offers that some kind of unspecified action would be taken if it looked like a default that could threaten the entire Eurozone was imminent. Meeting for the first time under...

Are EU sky marshals the answer? more passenger data? what is?
The continuing threat of terrorism on airlines especially those from Europe bound for the United States have caused some to resort to beefing up an old idea: undercover police on planes so passengers on European Union flights could find themselves sharing a cabin with sky marshals and their personal data...

EU jobless lines keep getting longer
Itrsquo;s boom time for the banks and some big businesses whorsquo;ve used taxpayer bail-out money to rebound but for millions of European workers the recession has them in a stranglehold and fight for survival and a fruitless quest for work as unemployment in the 16-member Eurozone hit 10% in December...

Trichet tightens the screws says banks must cut their bonuses
Almost lost in the talk at the World Economic Forum in Davos was a call from European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet for banks who got billions of euros in bail-outs from European Union countries to use the money to lend to customers as well as cut dividends and bonuses...

New Europe News - Main Feed
New Europe News - Main Feed

 

EU cuts the tough wood out of unlawful timber bill
Rampant illegal trade in timber and the cutting down of forests around the world is being tolerated by the European Union because it has taken several tough proposals out of a bill that would crack down on the process the lawmaker who drafts the European Parliamentrsquo;s reports on the issue...

Farage To Belgium: Im Sorry
Speaking to New Europe ahead of his meeting with Parliament President Jerzy Buzek the unrepentant EFD Leader spoke about being disciplined his contentious remarks his involvement in the controversial second pension scheme and on rumours that he is under investigation by OLAF the EU anti-fraud office. Asked how he felt...

Will the Parliament be transparent over secretive pension scheme?
Our recent article MEPs spending spree forces payback but the names are being kept secret see full article below disclosed that unnamed MEPs have handed back euro;3.4 million to Parliament and that the secretive second pension scheme is in financial trouble among other related issues. Mr Juame Duch Guillot Spokesperson...

EU enlargement blues eyes on Croatia FYROM Turkey – and Greece
Even as Greecersquo;s economic crisis had Italy fretting over how it would affect the Eurozonersquo;s plans to let more countries use the euro as a currency a spurt of support has blossomed for candidates ranging from Croatia to FYROM to Turkey with key backing for the idea coming from Sweden...

Parvanova - Loyal Servant or Loose Cannon?
Following our revelations last week into Ms Antonyia Parvanova MEP and Vice-President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe ALDE and her campaign against Commissioner Designate Jeleva it has become suspected that Ms Parvanova was less motivated by homour then a desire to help her friend Commissioner Kuneva...

Europe Marks Holocaust Memorial Day
The 65th anniversary of Soviet troops liberating the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps was marked throughout Europe and by a group of 20 MEPs attending a ceremony at the camp itself. Israeli President Shimon Peres chose to address the German Parliament where the 86 year old spoke about his own memories of...

EU lawmakers want SWIFT agreement suspended now
After a request from the Greens/EFA party the European Parliament Conference of Presidents agreed that President Jerzy Buzek will send a letter to the European Union Council asking for the EU to break off its deal to provide bank transfer information from the Brussels-based SWIFT system to the United States....

Diamandouros re-elected as European Ombudsman
The Europen Parliament has re-electednbsp;Nikiforos Diamandouros as European Ombudsman with 340 votes out of a total of 648 valid votes cast. Mr Diamandouros commented: I am very grateful for the support of the European Parliament and for this vote of confidence in my work. I look forward to continuing my...

Kristalina Georgieva to replace Jeleva as Bulgarian Commissioner-designate
nbsp; Bulgarian Prime Minister Borisov has informed European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso of his intention to suggest Ms Kristalina Georgieva currently Vice-President of the World Bank as member of the European Commission. A statement from the office Barroso nbsp;was issued to this effect stating that President Barroso welcomes the swift reaction...

Jeleva resigns from European Commission and Foreign Ministry
The candidacy of Bulgarian Commissioner-designate Rumiana Jeleva has been withdrawn according to the European Peoples Party Groupnbsp;in the European Parliament. A letter was sent to Joseph Daul this morning by Rumiana Jeleva. Jeleva has resigned from her position as Commissioner-designate and her position as Foreign Minister Sources from the European Parliament...

Jelevas name cleared pressure mounts for removal
nbsp; The whole European Union is watching as Rumiana Jelevarsquo;s candidacy for European Commissioner is one of the few sticking points of its acceptance by the European Parliament. Though Jelevarsquo;s performance was not satisfactory it was falsely alleged that Jeleva had not made accurate statements of commercial activities to the European...

Call to ban Burqa in UK in public and private
nbsp;Nigel Farage has announced that UKIP the main party in the EFD group are calling for the traditional Muslim clothing worn by women to be Banned. Going further than the far-right British National Party who are accused of neo-fascist ideology and only wish to prohibit the wearing of the burqa...

ECR Trans-National Party Set for EU Funding - But is it legal?
Last year New Europe revealed secret plans by the European Conservatives and Reformists ECR Group to set up a new transnational party called the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe and a think tank called New Direction: Foundation for European Reform. This became controversial after a right wing coupnbsp;...

Parliament prepares for battle as Barroso confirms confidence in Jeleva
European Commission President has reaffirmed his confidence in Commissioner-designate Rumiana Jeleva who found herself in political crossfire last week after allegations of conflict of interest. Barroso through a letter to Euroepan Parliament President Jerzy Buzek after the latter expressed concerns supported Jelevas competence for the European Commissioner post. Furthermore Barroso attached...

John DALLI European Parliament Hearing Report
John DALLI Health and Consumer Policy EN CV Our rating: Dalli clearly impressed MEPs many of whom were waiting for someone to turn up with a clear vision and agenda. He made it clear that his priorities were the interests of citizens and he showed...

Androula Vassiliou European Parliament Hearing Report
Androula Vassiliou Education Culture Multilingualism and Youth EN CV Our rating: Under the auspices of the culture and education Committee in the European Parliament Cypriot national and former Commissioner for Health Androula Vassiliou brought with her a strong vocal well developed outlook of Europe...

Gunther H.Oettinger European Parliament Hearing Report
Gunther H.Oettinger Energy EN CV Our rating: Energy was one of those portfolios five years ago that Jose Manuel Barroso struggled to find an interested party to take on in his first Commission College. When announcing the new Commission designate for energy he said...

Documents clear Jeleva of allegations
Updates:nbsp;Jeleva made no violation: Bulgarian Ministry of Justice report - EXCLUSIVE nbsp;Check-mate; Jeleva unsalvable; a commentary nbsp;Borisov opens the door for new Commission nominee nbsp; We have acquired Official translated Global Consult documents which relate to political attack on Commissioner-designate Rumiana Jeleva in the European Parliamentary hearingnbsp;of Tuesday 12 January 2010. Bulgarian...

Maire Geoghegan-Quinn European Parliament Hearing Report
Maire Geoghegan-Quinn Research Innovation and Science EN CV Our rating: Nobody would accuse Ms Geoghegan-Quinn of being a shrinking violet and her powerful and forceful manner showed that she was not to be messed with and provided some dynamism so far missing from the hearings....

Michel BARNIER European Parliament Hearing Report
Michel BARNIER Internal Market and Services EN CV Our rating: On the back of what Michel Barnier Former Agricultural and Fisheries Minister of France Former Commissioner for Regional Policy and Former MEP has called the largest financial crisis since 1929 he vigorously pronounced the...

Janez Potocnik European Parliament Hearing Report
Janez Potocnik Environment EN CV Our rating: With all his experience in the Commission Poto?nik was comfortable and engaged with the room. His confidence could not have been harmed by the regular scatterings of applause he received from members during the hearing. He made...

Laszlo ANDOR European Parliament Hearing Report
Laszlo ANDOR Employment Social Affairs and Inclusion EN CV Our rating: Capable is one word that would describe the Commissioner Designate Laszlo Andor and readiness to explore all means open to him via the Commission portfolio of Employment Social Affairs and Inclusion in a following...

Jeleva hangs in the balance Schulz wages partisan warfare
Updates: Check-mate; Jeleva unsalvable; a commentary nbsp;Documents clear Jeleva of allegations Borisov opens the door for new Commission nominee The document that could clear Jeleva nbsp; Concerning the commercial activities of Jeleva the issue becomes quite technical. According to Bulgarian legal experts the detail that is important according to Bulgarian law is not the...

Algirdas Gediminas ŠEMETA European Parliament Hearing Report
Algirdas Gediminas Scaron;EMETA Taxation and Customs Union Audit and Anti-Fraud EN CV Our rating: Semeta started nervously and felt the concern of the room as he was asked repeatedly to state his position on the OLAF and if it should be part of the Commission or...

Stefan Fule European Parliament Hearing Report
Stefan Fule Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy EN CV Our rating: Fule gave a confident performance engaging with the members. Using his background he spoke with passion on the importance of enlargement in his own country and how it should be central to EU plans. He...

Joaquin Almunia European Parliament Hearing Report
Joaquin Almunia Competition EN CV Our rating: No stranger to the ECON committee it was clear that this was going to be an easy ride as the main groups lined up to stress how highly they thought of him and his regular appearances before...

Rumiana Jeleva European Parliament Hearing Report
Updates:nbsp;Jeleva made no violation: Bulgarian Ministry of Justice report - EXCLUSIVE nbsp;Check-mate; Jeleva unsalvable; a commentary nbsp;Documents clear Jeleva of allegations Borisov opens the door for new Commission nominee Rumiana Jeleva International Cooperation Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response EN CV Our rating:...

Viviane Reding European Parliament Hearing Report
Viviane Redingnbsp; Justice Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Responsible for the hearings Parliamentary Committee s on Womens Rights and Gender Equality Legal Affairs Civil Liberties Justice and Home Affairs Our rating: EN CV One underlying current made up the main theme of the now...

Olli REHN European Parliament Hearing Report
Our rating: EN CV Olli Rehn isnt a star performer but his style which is like a cautious bank manager or a doctor preparing a patient for bad news seemed appropriate. His main points were that Lisbon provided instruments to assist exiting the financial crisis but it was...

Andris Piebalgs European Parliament Hearing Report
EN CV Our rating: Andris Piebalgs the Latvian national who single handedly made the Energy portfolio a most sought after role as admitted by Jose Manuel Barroso his President when announcing that he had given this determined man the role of Development for his future tenure...

Janusz LEWANDOWSKI European Parliament Hearing Report
Our rating: EN CV In what the President of the Committee of Budgets Monsieur Lamassoure called direct and specific responses to a well timed hearing the former MEP and now European Commissioner designate Janusz Lewandowski from Poland responded to all questions with authority a nonsensical line he maintained...

Karel De Gucht European Parliament Hearing Report
Karel De Gucht Trade EN CV Our rating: With a sigh of relief I think we can safely say that Karel De Gucht Former Foreign Minister of Belgium intermediate Development Commissioner for the European Commission and now designate trade Commissioner being hosted by the...

Baroness Catherine ASHTON European Hearing Report
EN CV Quotes Its important to me that you had the opportunity to ask all the questions you wanted even if I didnt have all the answers but I want to reiterate my commitment to parliament. Collaboration should be seen as what it is not a land...

Last Chance To Topple Brown
As the election beckons there is despair in parts of the Labour leadership. Whilst some fear a wipeout similar to the fate of the Tories in Blairs landslide victory of 1997 others are more hopeful and are counting on a lower level of losses leaving Camerons conservatives with a narrow...

European Parliamentary delegation to Iran cancelled
In a surprise last minute move four days before a group of Parliamentarians from the Iran Delegation Committee in the European Parliament were set to head to Teheran the Iranian Ambassador to the EU had to cancel the trip. The head of the EPrsquo;s delegation MEP Barbara Lochbihler received an...

Van Rompuys calls for EU Economic Summit
The first day on the job for any President can be stressful awkward fresh with anxiety anticipation and expectations but Herman Van Rompuy pulled it off with ease and did the one think he does have the almighty power to do in the EU ndash; called for this yearrsquo;s first...

Giannakou is undeterred about the attempt on her life and will stay in politics – with advice for the EPP and the EU
The first question we have got to ask is after the attempted assassination how are you coping with that? Are you still feeling under threat and have there been any investigations as to the culprits? I was a kind of a target always as a Minister of Education. I changed the...

EU High Representative Ashton passes first test at European Parliament
nbsp;On her second day as the EUs High Representative Baroness Catherine Ashton appeared in the European Parliaments main chamber to answer questions from MEPs. This early visit was intended to show the EP that she was going to take their role very seriously and many MEPs appreciated the gesture and...

Who speaks for Europe?
Itrsquo;s been nearly four decades since then US secretary of state Henry Kissinger supposedly asked in frustration: ldquo;Who do I call when I want to speak to Europe?rdquo; Kissinger wanted a Europe with clout and a leader to match and judging by reaction to the naming of two obscure politicians...

Are European leaders up to European construction?
The post of the European Unionrsquo;s President was one of the most controversial issues when it was first proposed back in 2000 during the Nice Treaty negotiations and has been long debated since. Smaller states were afraid that the President would always come from one of the largest and more...

MEPs cross party lines to demand women get some top EU jobs
With only a few of the European Unionrsquo;s highest positions held by women a group of lawmakers from the five largest political groups in the European Parliament have joined ranks to call for a better gender balance in the top jobs of the incoming European Commission that is still being...

European Parliament Iran delegation faces Ambassador
On 10 November last week H. E. Ali-Asghar Khaji Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran met the members of the Delegation for relations with Iran at the European Parliament. He opened his speech by stressing the importance of Iranrsquo;s strategic position and its role as a fundamental player in...

A Right Wing Coup
Pro European Tories are mounting a counter attack after what they see as a right wing coup that handed control of a planned transnational party and think tank to a group of Euro-skeptics led by Daniel Hannan MEP and dashed Conservative Central Office hopes of having a safe pair of...

Politicians urged to provide cash for lives
Europe looks set to face more flu-related deaths than necessary as the H1N1 virus looms large. Experiences in Australia and Mexico have already shown that intensive care units ICUs will be stretched to maximum and beyond as a result of so-called swine flu. Vital beds are being earmarked for pregnant women...

Got milk no cash
A majority of European Union countries on 12 October called for helping dairy farmers with an additional euro;300 million after an informal meeting of farm ministers and officials in Vienna. The representatives from 20 EU countries which represent 95% of the EUrsquo;s milk market said member states should contribute that...

Latvia and UK play down spat over SS celebration
LATVIAN Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins spoke with his British counterpart David Miliband recently in an attempt to defuse a growing diplomatic row centred on differing interpretations of wartime history. During a speech to the annual conference of Britains ruling Labour party on 3 October Miliband had said he felt sick...

Klaus discusses Lisbon Treaty with Swedish premier
CZECH President Vaclav Klaus discussed his countrys ratification of the European Unions reform treaty with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt on 7 October the presidential office said. In Stockholm Reinfeldt later told reporters that Klaus had noted that the constitutional court process must be completed before he can conclude the...

EU project to fight money laundering complete
THE EU recently completed a 27-month programme aimed at helping Albania fight money laundering AENews reported. The cost of the project is €1.3 million which was provided by the European Commission. The Commission said that the project has strengthened the capacities of the Financial Intelligence Unit FIU of Albania to...

Stepping up the MDGs
Elise Ford was appointed as Head of EU Oxfam back in May 2009 and has been busy talking to the EU Institutions ever since. Last week she took some time out to talk to Alia Papageorgiou on just how important the Development MDGs are the impact we could have at...

Parliament inquiry into financial crisis should address role of lobbying
THE European Parliament will this week launch a new special committee on the financial economic and social crisis. Over the next 12 months the committee will ldquo;analyse and evaluate the financial economic and social crisisrdquo; and make recommendations for ldquo;measures or initiatives to be takenrdquo;. The new committee has an...

European Parliament News - New Europe
European Parliament News - New Europe

 

Sarkozy show of unity backfires

PRESIDENT Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni put on a show of unity yesterday, following rumours of infidelities, as they arrived together to vote in regional elections.

I pray for Maddy's kidnappers, says Kate McCann

Kate McCann said yesterday that she prays for the people who kidnapped her daughter, Madeleine.

Georgians panicked by invasion spoof

Millions of Georgians wrongly thought their country was being invaded after a spoof prime-time news broadcast showed Russian tanks heading towards the capital Tbilisi and said the president, Mikheil Saakashvili, had been killed.

British tourist faces jail over 'kiss on cheek'

After flying out to Dubai to meet an old friend, Charlotte Adams maintains that all she did was greet him with a kiss on the cheek. But the show of affection has led to her facing a month in jail.

Bulger killer should face new charges, says mum

THE mother of James Bulger has demanded that her son's killer face justice after it emerged that he may escape charges over alleged possession of child pornography.

Deal or no deal? EU in denial over Greek plans

EUROZONE finance ministers are likely to agree tomorrow on a mechanism for aiding Greece financially, but will leave out any sums until Athens asks for them, an EU source said on Friday.

Sarkozy hasn't got time for media 'rantings' on marriage

French President Nicolas Sarkozy dismissed media "rantings" about his marriage yesterday and appealed to the British media: "I love England -- don't make me regret it."

Skull shows human brains are shrinking

A project to reconstitute a 28,000-year-old skull from remains found in France supports the theory that human brains have begun to shrink.

Now sticking plasters can treat cancer

Scientists yesterday unveiled a sticking plaster-type device which can be used to treat skin cancer.

'Chilling cruelty' pair jailed after child starved to death

The mother and stepfather of a seven-year-old girl -- who starved to death -- were jailed for her manslaughter yesterday by a judge who branded their treatment of the child "chilling in its harshness and cruelty".

Parents of hanged girl plead guilty to cruelty

The mother and stepfather of an eight-year-old girl found hanged in her bedroom yesterday admitted child cruelty.

350 women in G8 'sex for favours' affair

A prostitution ring linked to alleged corruption in the awarding of contracts for the G8 summit in Italy involved as many as 350 women, investigating magistrates said yesterday.

MPs appear in court over British expenses scandal

Three Labour MPs and a Conservative peer told a British judge yesterday they would use a 320-year-old law to argue they should not be prosecuted over the expenses scandal.

Cardinal blames celibacy rule for abuse scandals

A senior cardinal has called for priestly celibacy to be re-examined in the light of sex scandals sweeping the Roman Catholic Church.

Man 'tormented to death'

A 64-year-old man with learning difficulties was "tormented to death" after being bullied by yobs for more than a decade, neighbours claimed yesterday.

Pink Floyd win control of music in court battle

PINK Floyd won a High Court battle with EMI yesterday preventing the company from selling album songs as individual tracks.

Berlusconi can be 'too busy' for own trial, says new law

Silvio Berlusconi is to evade prosecution over corruption charges after Italy's parliament passed a law allowing the prime minister to claim that he was too busy to attend a trial.

Devil is at work in Vatican, says church's top exorcist

The growing clerical sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church are proof that the Devil is at work inside the Vatican, according to the Holy See's chief exorcist.

Women raped by father for 30 years finally get an apology

Two women who were repeatedly abused and raped by their father for three decades -- bearing seven of his children -- yesterday received an unreserved apology from British authorities who failed to protect them.

Dutch plan to let elderly die by injection

HEALTHY, elderly people who are simply "tired of living" could be allowed to end their lives with a lethal injection under new euthanasia laws being debated by the Dutch parliament.

CIA used LSD to make French lose the loaf

IN 1951, a quiet, picturesque village in southern France was suddenly and mysteriously struck down with mass insanity and hallucinations. At least five people died, dozens were committed to asylums and hundreds afflicted.

Clint's 'Dirty Harry' is a real cool class act. . .

TRAINEE teachers are being told to act like Clint Eastwood (right) to win the respect of pupils, a British education centre said yesterday.

Rumours of infidelity fly about Sarkozy and Bruni

Paris gossips were trying to sort out fact from fiction as the blogosphere raised tantalising questions about the glamorous pop 'n' politics marriage of President Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni.

Romanian street sign warns drivers of 'drunk pedestrians'

Street signs warning Romanian drivers to be careful of drunken pedestrians lying on roads were erected by road safety chiefs worried about the "despairing" levels of accidents.

Large Hadron Collider ‘to shut down for a year’

The Large Hadron Collider, the world's biggest atom smasher, will shut down for a year to repair mistakes that were made in its construction.

Pope's brother admits hitting children at sex scandal school

The Pope's brother gave a rare insight yesterday into a pervasive culture of violence at Roman Catholic institutions, admitting that he hit children while he was choirmaster at a German boarding school.

Heads must roll at BBC over Band Aid slur -- Geldof

Bob Geldof upped the ante in the row between Band Aid and the BBC yesterday by demanding the sacking of BBC World Service director Peter Horrocks.

'Catastrophic event' halted development of galaxy

Scientists have found evidence of a "catastrophic event" they believe was responsible for halting the birth of stars in a galaxy in the early universe.

Quake in Turkey kills 51

Dozens of people were killed when an earthquake hit villages in eastern Turkey just before dawn yesterday.

Mother questions why Facebook killer was free

The mother of a teenage girl kidnapped, raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender she met on Facebook questioned last night why he was free to attack her daughter.

Coins can't beat the coppers in breath test

JPR Williams, one of the legendary figures of Welsh rugby, sucked pennies after being stopped for drink-driving in the misguided belief that it would help him to cheat a breath test, a court heard yesterday.

I knew nothing of choir abuse allegations, says Pope's brother

The brother of Pope Benedict XVI has agreed to give evidence in the sex scandal rocking the Catholic Church in Germany.

Stirling Moss in lift shaft plunge

Motor racing veteran Sir Stirling Moss is in hospital after breaking both ankles when he fell three floors down a lift shaft.

Baby boy 'left with burial note'

A newly-born baby who died after being abandoned near a mosque was found with a note asking for help to bury him, police have confirmed.

Bulger killer in jail over child porn concerns

James Bulger's killer, Jon Venables, was recalled to prison on suspicion of child porn offences, using drugs and on fears that he had revealed his new identity, it was alleged yesterday.

Independent.ie - Europe RSS Feed

 

EU to Discuss Greek Aid, No Firm Figures Seen
Euro zone finance ministers are expected to agree a way of providing Greece with financial aid to tackle its debts on Monday, but France warned not to expect any hard figures and there remained barriers to a deal.

AAA Governments Safe, but Risks Grow: Moody's

Barclays Capital Looks to ‘Partners’ Model

France Tells Germany It's Hurting Other Euro Countries

Deutsche Telekom Introduces Women's Quota

Deal Is Near for the Sale of Hilfiger

'No Need' for Greek Bailout Decision: Germany

Second Bid for Manchester United: Report

Is the Current M&A Wave Going to Continue?

Ex-Lehman Unit to List Distressed Debt Fund: Report

Arrow to Reject Shell, Petrochina $3 Billion Bid: Report

Sarlozy's Party Humbled by Leftists in French Vote

UK Transport Minister: BA Strike Is Unjustified

Special Report: Countdown to London 2012

CNBC Europe Top News and Analysis
Stock Market News, Financial, Earnings, World Market News and Info Covering the Europe Region

 

Georgia Panics After Fake Report About Russian Invasion
Georgia President Saakhasvili defended report, following widespread panic caused by broadcast

France FM: EU Considering Unilateral Sanctions on Iran
Bernard Kouchner says European states could impose unilateral sanctions on Iran if UN fails to pass its own sanctions

France Votes in Regional Elections
French voters expected to punish President Nicolas Sarkozy, ruling conservative UMP party in first round of regional elections

Bosnia Indicts Former Commander With Srebrenica Massacre
Nedjo Ikonic allegedly oversaw massive killings and detentions of Muslims in 1995

Second US Woman Investigated for Plotting to Kill Swedish Cartoonist
Irish police say woman was detained along with Algerian husband, five other people Tuesday

Kremlin: Obama, Medvedev Ready to Finalize Nuclear Arms Pact
Russian officials say the two leaders spoke by phone on Saturday

Bosnia Indicts Serb Police Commander for Srebrenica Massacre
Authorities say Nedjo Ikonic ordered, oversaw detention, execution of more than 1,000 Muslims who tried to flee UN safe haven

Serbia Detains 9 for Kosovo War Crimes
They are accused of killing 41 ethnic Albanians in village of Cuska in 1999

Bosnian President Says Serbia's Extradition Request Damaging Relationship
Former Bosnian President Ejup Ganic arrested in London following request last week, released on bail Thursday

Swedish Parliament Labels Armenian Killings in Turkey Genocide
Turkey recalls ambassador to Sweden and cancels summit in Stockholm after lawmakers passed measure Thursday

India, Russia Sign Energy, Defense Deals worth Billions of Dollars
Russia's PM is hoping to finalize sale of $10 billion in weapons and technology

French Elections Marred by 'No to Islam' Campaign
In recent campaign speech, National Front's leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, denounced mosques 'growing like mushrooms' in France

Top Polluters Dodge EU's Tough Carbon Trading Measures
British report claims some European firms are opting to buy so-called carbon offsets instead of cutting CO2 emissions

German Bishop Says Pope 'Dismayed' at Clerical Sex Abuse Scandal
Archbishop Robert Zollitsch apologizes to victims of child abuse by priests following meeting with Pope Benedict XVI

New Ukrainian Prime Minister Seen Loyal to President
New parliamentary coalition approves appointment of Mykola Azarov, close associate of President Viktor Yanukovych, as prime minister

VOA News: Europe
Europe Voice of America

 

Church sex abuse brings trouble to pope
With allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic priests piling up in Germany and Ireland and surfacing in Austria and the Netherlands, Europe appears poised to face church abuse in the wrenching way the United States did.

Mock Russian invasion report sparks panic
A television station in Georgia triggered a panic when it broadcast a mock half-hour report about a Russian invasion of the country.

Injury hurts Beckham's World Cup hopes
David Beckham suffered an Achilles tendon injury before Clarence Seedorf scored in the final minute to give AC Milan a 1-0 win over Chievo, a result that moved them to within a point of leaders Inter at the top of Serie A.

Alonso wins F1 season opener in Ferrari
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso made the perfect start to his Ferrari career with victory in Formula One's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.

Turkey protests Swedish genocide vote
Turkey has canceled a high-level summit in protest against a Swedish Parliament resolution recognizing the 1915 killings of ethnic Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide.

Henin and Li Na crash out at Indian Wells
Former world number one Justine Henin suffered the first blip in her comeback to competitive tennis as she crashed out in the second round of the WTA event Indian Wells in California.

Annie Lennox: Changing face of AIDS
Singer and activist Annie Lennox wants the world to know that the HIV virus and the debilitating condition it causes, AIDS, are the leading killers of women of reproductive age in the world.

Beheaded Vikings found at Olympic site
They were 51 young men who met a grisly death far from home, their heads chopped off and their bodies thrown into a mass grave.

BA cabin crew to strike this month
Union members representing British Airways cabin crews announced Friday they will hold two separate strikes this month in a dispute over working conditions.

Thousands protest Greek austerity measures
Thousands of people marched through Athens Thursday as part of a 24-hour nationwide strike to protest further austerity measures by the embattled government.

CNN.com - Europe
CNN.com delivers up-to-the-minute news and information on the latest top stories, weather, entertainment, politics and more.

 

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Key facts, figures and dates

Regions and territories: Corsica
An overview of Corsica including key facts and notes on the media

Regions and territories: Crimea
Key facts, dates, events

Croatia country profile
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Cyprus
Key facts, figures and dates

Regions and territories: Dagestan
Key facts, dates and events

Country profile: Czech Republic
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Denmark
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Estonia
Key facts, figures and dates

England - Profile
An overview of England including key facts and notes on the media

Regions and territories: Faroe Islands
An overview of the Faroe Islands including key facts, political leaders and notes on the media

Country profile: Finland
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: France
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Georgia
Key facts, figures and dates

Regions and territories: Gibraltar
An overview of Gibraltar including key facts, political leaders and notes on the media

Country profile: Germany
Key facts, figures and dates

Greece country profile
Key facts, figures and dates

Regions and territories: Greenland
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Hungary
Kay facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Iceland
Key facts, figures and dates

Regions and territories: Ingushetia
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Ireland
Key facts, figures and dates

Regions and territories: Isle of Man
An overview of the Isle of Man including key facts, political leaders and notes on the media

Regions and territories: Kabardino-Balkaria
A profile of the southern Russian republic

Regions and territories: Kaliningrad
Key facts, dates, events

Regions and territories: Kalmykia
Key facts, dates and events

Regions and territories: Karachay-Cherkessia
Key facts, dates, events

Regions and territories: Kosovo
An overview of Kosovo including key facts, leaders and notes on the media

Country profile: Latvia
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Liechtenstein
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Lithuania
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Luxembourg
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Macedonia
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Malta
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Moldova
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Monaco
An overview of Monaco including key facts, political leaders and notes on the media

Country profile: Montenegro
Key facts, figures and dates

Regions and territories: Nagorno-Karabakh
Key facts,dates and events

Country profile: The Netherlands
Key facts, figures and dates

Regions and territories: North Ossetia
Key facts, dates and events

Northern Ireland profile
An overview of Northern Ireland including key facts and notes on the media

Norway country profile
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Poland
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Portugal
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Romania
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: San Marino
An overview of San Marino including key facts, political leaders and notes on the media

Profile: Scotland
A profile of Scotland

Country profile: Slovakia
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Serbia
Key facts, figures and dates

Slovenia country profile
Key facts, figures and dates

Regions and territories: South Ossetia
An overview of South Ossetia, including key facts and political leaders

Spain - Country profile
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Sweden
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Switzerland
Key facts, figures and dates

Regions and territories: Trans-Dniester
An overview of the breakaway region in eastern Moldova

Turkey country profile
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Ukraine
Key facts, figures and dates

Country profile: Vatican
Key facts, figures and dates

Profile: Wales
Key facts, figures and notes on the media

Timeline: Albania
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Andorra
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Armenia
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Austria
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Azerbaijan
A chronology of key events

Belarus timeline
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Belgium
A chronology of key events

Bosnia-Hercegovina timeline
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Bulgaria
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Chechnya
A chronology of key events

Croatia timeline
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Cyprus
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Czech Republic
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Denmark
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Estonia
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Faroe Islands
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Finland
A chronology of key events

Timeline: France
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Georgia
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Gibraltar
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Germany
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Greenland
A chronology of key events:

Greece timeline
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Hungary
A chronology of key events

Iceland timeline
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Ireland
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Italy
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Kosovo
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Latvia
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Liechtenstein
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Lithuania
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Luxembourg
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Macedonia
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Malta
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Moldova
A chronology of key dates

Timeline: Monaco
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Montenegro
A chronology of key events.

Timeline: The Netherlands
A chronology of key events

Norway timeline
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Poland
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Romania
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Russia
A chronology of key events

Timeline: San Marino
A chronology of key events

Timeline: After Milosevic
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Serbia
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Slovakia
A chronology of key events

Slovenia timeline
A chronology of key events

Spain - Timeline
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Soviet Union
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Sweden
A chronology of key events

Timeline: Switzerland
A chronology of key events

Turkey timeline
A chronology of key events

Ukraine timeline
A chronology of key events

Timeline: United Kingdom
A chronology of key events

Profile: The Commonwealth
Key facts, figures and dates

Timeline: The Commonwealth
A chronology of key events

Profile: The Council of Europe
A profile of the pan-European human rights organisation

Profile: International Committee of the Red Cross
Key facts, figures and dates

Profile: European Court of Human Rights
A profile of the Strasbourg-based body which aims to protect rights and freedoms in Europe

Profile: The European Union
Key facts and dates for the EU

Profile: IAEA
Key facts, figures about the nuclear watchdog of the United Nations

Timeline: IAEA
A chronology of key events

Profile: Nato
Key facts, figures and dates

Timeline: Nato
A chronology of key events

Profile: The OSCE
An overview of the OSCE, including its background, structure and key activities

Timeline: Portugal
A chronology of key events

Profile: United Nations
Key facts about the United Nations, its background and its structure

UN Security Council - Profile
Key information on the workings of the United Nations Security Council and its members.

Profile: World Trade Organization
Key facts, figures and dates

Timeline: World Trade Organization
A chronology of key events

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