#Macron in #Beirut – A New Start for a Middle East Policy?

Who is helping the #Syrians, after nine years of war?

Twelve million Syrians need humanitarian aid every day. The EU is mobilising donations, counting on civil society and UN aid agencies. Through the UN Security Council, Russia and China are reducing the number of border crossings into Syria. To stop the suffering, Brussels must take a stronger stance politically. The figures attesting to the suffering […]

#Putin’s strange view of #Second_World_War

Tuesday the military parade for the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War took place in Moscow. 23 June was declared 9 May by President Vladimir Putin: the pandemic had forced the postponement.   Why 23 June of all days? Because this day is also an anniversary, on the same day 75 […]

#Europeans, cooperate to better #innovate !

Innovation is essential in order to survive in global competition. More than ever this is true in the age of COVID-19. However, Europe is lagging further and further behind in comparison with other world regions such as North America or East Asia. This is put forward in a study on #world_class_patents in 58 cutting-edge technologies. […]

The #Corona crisis and #EU_banking – yet another test for Europe?

A decade ago we learnt that the European project could not be taken for granted. History is not a one-way street. Triggered by the Great Financial Crisis, the continent was engulfed in the eurozone crisis, which pitched northerners against southerners in previously unimaginable ways. The crisis nearly ended with Greece leaving the eurozone – who […]

Today is #le_18_juin. #De_Gaulle’s day!

In Germany and elsewhere in Europe, this bilingual headline will at best awaken historians and history lovers. Today is the 80th anniversary of the BBC radio speech by Brigadier General Charles de Gaulle. For the French, l‘appel du 18 juin rings just about the same bells as Winston Churchill’s blood, toil, tears, and sweat speech […]

How much is #500bn euros?

Not long ago EU leaders bickered over the third decimal place of the next EU 2021-2027 budget. Should it be 1.074% of EU Gross National Income as proposed by Charles Michel in his role as President of the European Council, 1.114% as suggested by the European Commission, a generous 1.3% as argued by the European […]

Christine #Lagarde writes a letter to Angela #Merkel

Dear Angela, oh, là, là, these lawyers (I’m one myself), they are nothing but unnecessary trouble. But I don’t let myself be annoyed and you, as far as I know you, certainly don’t either. I am writing you a letter from woman to woman, very old-fashioned, with a fountain pen and not via mail. For, […]

#Brexit despite corona – to the promised land!

In times of the Corona pandemic it is difficult to imagine that not long ago other issues were making the headlines. For the EU one such issue was Brexit. For those who might have forgotten: the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in 2016, officially left in January 2020 and is currently in […]