Both the video and the book get us thinking of the Superclass, its members, the mixture of people in this class, equality of gender, political and economic views and geographical distribution. I must say that I do not question the existing of a new global elite, but I would really be curious about the whole list and wether it contains anyone from Central Europe.
Nov 22, 2011
Superclass
Both the video and the book get us thinking of the Superclass, its members, the mixture of people in this class, equality of gender, political and economic views and geographical distribution. I must say that I do not question the existing of a new global elite, but I would really be curious about the whole list and wether it contains anyone from Central Europe.
Nov 13, 2011
New Europeanism
This week and also last week in my head the main topic in Europe wa truly the future of the EU and that of the continent. Now that the Greek and the Italian prime ministers are gone and that the austerity measures have been accepted in those countries Germany and possibly France (but mainly Germany) won in terms of economic policy decisions. All that has happened was influenced mostly by Merkel's policy and that of the Frankfurt Group. So let us say there is some stabilization now or not.
In my view the crisis is much much deeper and as Merkel said it could take a decade to sort things out, but I think it also requires extensive change. I am not sure that a Guy Verhofstadt type of federal Europe is what we are reaching in for. In my last post I said that the EU was practically a federation and in many aspects this is true. Of course two very important factors are excluded the military factor and the the foreign policy factor.
I think that the EU must be responsible for the young generation. I am not sure that our generation (under 30) those, who I call 'New Europeans' like the EU, or in fact supports its policies, but I think that is because in our adulthood the EU has been in constant crisis. Despite the general political thoughts of this generation it is important to take into account that it is a generation that socialized with the internet around, with Schengen in place and the Euro as a currency. You can't leave these thoughts out of site. The Western Europeans haven't experienced a life without Schengen and those of us from the 2004 enlargement don't know what its like to wait for a passport or simply to live behind the iron curtain.
Lisbon might have solved technical difficulties in the working mechanisms of a large organization, but is it not time in this deep crisis to start thinking of a way forward that also includes the citizens, the youth the 'New Europeans'. I am sure that the steps taken by the Frankfurt Group were necessary and they help now, but it might just be that a small group of people determining not only fiscal policies of Member States, but also the fate of governments is exactly what most citizens find offending and hateful about EU.
New steps 'New Europeanism' is what we need. Let us have then a European government (not that the Commission is not a cabinet practically). If Merkel and Sarkozy now what they want with the EU with other Member States then they should campaign at the next EP elections, gain votes for their parties and be nominated for the post of the head of the Commission. I urge them to do so! Let us then play clearly not with informal Frankfurt Groups, but with real leadership. Use Lisbon! Or be brave enough and convince your nation that the EU Constitution is needed and ratify it! I call for 'New Europeanism'! For the sake of the 'New European' generation!
In my view the crisis is much much deeper and as Merkel said it could take a decade to sort things out, but I think it also requires extensive change. I am not sure that a Guy Verhofstadt type of federal Europe is what we are reaching in for. In my last post I said that the EU was practically a federation and in many aspects this is true. Of course two very important factors are excluded the military factor and the the foreign policy factor.
I think that the EU must be responsible for the young generation. I am not sure that our generation (under 30) those, who I call 'New Europeans' like the EU, or in fact supports its policies, but I think that is because in our adulthood the EU has been in constant crisis. Despite the general political thoughts of this generation it is important to take into account that it is a generation that socialized with the internet around, with Schengen in place and the Euro as a currency. You can't leave these thoughts out of site. The Western Europeans haven't experienced a life without Schengen and those of us from the 2004 enlargement don't know what its like to wait for a passport or simply to live behind the iron curtain.
Lisbon might have solved technical difficulties in the working mechanisms of a large organization, but is it not time in this deep crisis to start thinking of a way forward that also includes the citizens, the youth the 'New Europeans'. I am sure that the steps taken by the Frankfurt Group were necessary and they help now, but it might just be that a small group of people determining not only fiscal policies of Member States, but also the fate of governments is exactly what most citizens find offending and hateful about EU.
New steps 'New Europeanism' is what we need. Let us have then a European government (not that the Commission is not a cabinet practically). If Merkel and Sarkozy now what they want with the EU with other Member States then they should campaign at the next EP elections, gain votes for their parties and be nominated for the post of the head of the Commission. I urge them to do so! Let us then play clearly not with informal Frankfurt Groups, but with real leadership. Use Lisbon! Or be brave enough and convince your nation that the EU Constitution is needed and ratify it! I call for 'New Europeanism'! For the sake of the 'New European' generation!
Nov 11, 2011
Two-tier EU nightmares?
The week when everyone is talking about a Eurozone and an EU that should stay united and the week when at the same time everyone is mentioning a two tier Europe.
In my view that is probably the worst of all cases. It is hard to adjust economic to political and social needs, but in my view in Europe the integration process must not fall apart and a two tier Eurozone would mean just that. When creating the Community there wwas a momentum after the Second World War with a rare opportunity in Europe to solidify peace and to build economies that can be once again on the top of the world. There was an economic success driving integration and it was this success that countries signed up for.
It is without no doubt that a new momentum arrived at the end of the eighties when the chance came to reunite Europe. Let us have no doubt that Germany as the strongest European economy always had a special power-broker role and that Maastricht and the creation of the European Union with the pillar system were consequences of German reunification and that those reforms were not only meant for the 12 then member states, but were already a preparation the enlargements of the mid-2000s.
Premature is a word I might use for the European Constitution a document that never entered into force. It is the end of the momentum right then and there. In my view it would have been a necessary step, but it was a mistake doing it when the enlargement was not yet done. I am of course aware of the fact that politicians and experts from candidate countries participated in the process, but it is on a social level on the level of people that it was not a correct process. I think EU citizens felt left out. Lisbon is no better, in fact it is worse because it does the changes necessary without having the guts of naming them. The High Representative is a foreign minister without calling her that or not and a regulation is a European Act without calling it that or not. I am writing about this reform process because when we talk of the current crisis of Europe we have to understand that this crisis the economic one just topped the political one.
The current crisis and a two tier Eurozone I believe is the worst and most dangerous thing that could happen. It is practically a matter of principle and now is one of the times that principles go before money because the Euro is the only true symbol of the European integration. It was the symbol of the economic strength of Europe and it must stay because without the Euro the EU is over, its minimal social backing will disappear.
Just a week ago George Soros said at CEU in Hungary that the Euro is here to stay and I couldn't agree more. It is now truly the question if the Euro that is here to stay will be the Euro that is the symbol of a new economic iron curtain or the true symbol of European federation of states, which the EU is wether you name it or "Lisbon" it.
In my view that is probably the worst of all cases. It is hard to adjust economic to political and social needs, but in my view in Europe the integration process must not fall apart and a two tier Eurozone would mean just that. When creating the Community there wwas a momentum after the Second World War with a rare opportunity in Europe to solidify peace and to build economies that can be once again on the top of the world. There was an economic success driving integration and it was this success that countries signed up for.
It is without no doubt that a new momentum arrived at the end of the eighties when the chance came to reunite Europe. Let us have no doubt that Germany as the strongest European economy always had a special power-broker role and that Maastricht and the creation of the European Union with the pillar system were consequences of German reunification and that those reforms were not only meant for the 12 then member states, but were already a preparation the enlargements of the mid-2000s.
Premature is a word I might use for the European Constitution a document that never entered into force. It is the end of the momentum right then and there. In my view it would have been a necessary step, but it was a mistake doing it when the enlargement was not yet done. I am of course aware of the fact that politicians and experts from candidate countries participated in the process, but it is on a social level on the level of people that it was not a correct process. I think EU citizens felt left out. Lisbon is no better, in fact it is worse because it does the changes necessary without having the guts of naming them. The High Representative is a foreign minister without calling her that or not and a regulation is a European Act without calling it that or not. I am writing about this reform process because when we talk of the current crisis of Europe we have to understand that this crisis the economic one just topped the political one.
The current crisis and a two tier Eurozone I believe is the worst and most dangerous thing that could happen. It is practically a matter of principle and now is one of the times that principles go before money because the Euro is the only true symbol of the European integration. It was the symbol of the economic strength of Europe and it must stay because without the Euro the EU is over, its minimal social backing will disappear.
Just a week ago George Soros said at CEU in Hungary that the Euro is here to stay and I couldn't agree more. It is now truly the question if the Euro that is here to stay will be the Euro that is the symbol of a new economic iron curtain or the true symbol of European federation of states, which the EU is wether you name it or "Lisbon" it.
Nov 9, 2011
Centrope
Centrope is a Euroregion which involves four countries: Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. It is a business region, a cultural region and a region for scientific develepoment. The specialty of the region is that despite its size it includes four very important cities from the whole Central European region: Vienna, Bratislava, Brno and Győr.
With the twin capitals of Vienna and Bratislava only 60 km apart and Győr and Brno also nearby this region could truly be a well organized business center of the whole region. Their is also a touristic and cultural dimension, which extends much further to all four countries. Of course the cultural bond is very strong since all four countries share a common history belonging to one state for hundreds of years.
Even though the site http://www.mycentrope.com/ doesn't operate in english I suggest you pay a visit there I you speak Hungarian, Czech, Slovak or German.
With the twin capitals of Vienna and Bratislava only 60 km apart and Győr and Brno also nearby this region could truly be a well organized business center of the whole region. Their is also a touristic and cultural dimension, which extends much further to all four countries. Of course the cultural bond is very strong since all four countries share a common history belonging to one state for hundreds of years.
Even though the site http://www.mycentrope.com/ doesn't operate in english I suggest you pay a visit there I you speak Hungarian, Czech, Slovak or German.
Nov 4, 2011
US funding from UNESCO cut
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova's statement on US funding cuts in this statement posted on the organization's website and youtube DG Irina Bokova (former Bulgarian ambassador to the organization) reacts to the United States policy on cutting funding from the organization for accepting Palestine as a member state of the organization.
Though I mostly blog about Central European issues the status of Palestine and its statehood is a global issue that I find important enough to be talking about. UNESCO's General Conference (presided over by Hungarian ambassador Katalin Bogyay) has accepted Palestine as a member state in a vote where this proposal recieved a two-thirds majority.
The USA has since in accordance with its own legislation decided to stop the funding of the organization. This decision is leading to halting many crucial programmes of the organization some described by the DG in the linked video. It also has the consequence that probably other member states will have to step up and provide more funding for the organization, which practically affects mostly the European countries and other developed countries since they are the donor countries that are already contributing to the budget of UNESCO. I do wish that US lawmakers will have an open mind and consider the global impact of their decisions.
Though I mostly blog about Central European issues the status of Palestine and its statehood is a global issue that I find important enough to be talking about. UNESCO's General Conference (presided over by Hungarian ambassador Katalin Bogyay) has accepted Palestine as a member state in a vote where this proposal recieved a two-thirds majority.
The USA has since in accordance with its own legislation decided to stop the funding of the organization. This decision is leading to halting many crucial programmes of the organization some described by the DG in the linked video. It also has the consequence that probably other member states will have to step up and provide more funding for the organization, which practically affects mostly the European countries and other developed countries since they are the donor countries that are already contributing to the budget of UNESCO. I do wish that US lawmakers will have an open mind and consider the global impact of their decisions.
Oct 26, 2011
United States of Europe: to be? not to be? how to be?
I am no economist and I am most certainly not good with macroeconomical numbers of the debt crisis, but I feel that the crisis now in the EU and the Eurozone is by far not only about numbers.
Countries all over the world have felt the crisis and many countries not only those in Europe are in deep debt. Of course the true essence of the European crisis is that it is in the interest (or so it seems) of the Eurozone countries to bailout each other and to share the responsibility over the mistake of another. My question is simple is the solidarity among the peoples of Europe strong enough to back initiatives of such nature? To me it seems not... and it is definitely not the common Europeans fault. What we see is that the politicians the leaders of this continent and of course of the financial institutions try to work out a plan that can help the nations in need and a plan that is strong enough not only for a country like Greece, but also for Italy or Spain.
In my view such plans would work if the societies that need to back the politicians making the decisions weren't in plural rather they would be a sole nation, which of course is not the case. The process of what we see is that the top level politicians heads of states and heads of governments as well as financial leaders are eventually moving towards a more unified Europe something of a true federalistic state-like nature. Yet at the same time the voices that can be heard from within parliaments and people on the street make it clear that there is no social lacking behind the creating a something more federalistic. Furthermore it is my deep concern that the way that the EU and Eurozone leaders communicate their joint actions gives way to irresponsible political voices, whom by exaggeration, mistification and by misleading the people of Europe can earn platforms for their extremist views. As the latest example shows CNN reported on the Conservative Party MPs calling for a nationwide referendum in the UK on leaving the EU and this is of course by far not the worst since I am not even detailing the politics of right extremist parties.
I do not know the answers, but I know you cannot build a system without the nation(s) on board. This is a lesson history has taught us. A lesson we here in Central and Eastern Europe know all too well.
Countries all over the world have felt the crisis and many countries not only those in Europe are in deep debt. Of course the true essence of the European crisis is that it is in the interest (or so it seems) of the Eurozone countries to bailout each other and to share the responsibility over the mistake of another. My question is simple is the solidarity among the peoples of Europe strong enough to back initiatives of such nature? To me it seems not... and it is definitely not the common Europeans fault. What we see is that the politicians the leaders of this continent and of course of the financial institutions try to work out a plan that can help the nations in need and a plan that is strong enough not only for a country like Greece, but also for Italy or Spain.
In my view such plans would work if the societies that need to back the politicians making the decisions weren't in plural rather they would be a sole nation, which of course is not the case. The process of what we see is that the top level politicians heads of states and heads of governments as well as financial leaders are eventually moving towards a more unified Europe something of a true federalistic state-like nature. Yet at the same time the voices that can be heard from within parliaments and people on the street make it clear that there is no social lacking behind the creating a something more federalistic. Furthermore it is my deep concern that the way that the EU and Eurozone leaders communicate their joint actions gives way to irresponsible political voices, whom by exaggeration, mistification and by misleading the people of Europe can earn platforms for their extremist views. As the latest example shows CNN reported on the Conservative Party MPs calling for a nationwide referendum in the UK on leaving the EU and this is of course by far not the worst since I am not even detailing the politics of right extremist parties.
I do not know the answers, but I know you cannot build a system without the nation(s) on board. This is a lesson history has taught us. A lesson we here in Central and Eastern Europe know all too well.
Oct 25, 2011
UN Security Council elections final results
Monday evening after the 16th round of voting Slovenia withdrew its bid for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council. As a result Azerbaijan will represent the Eastern European region.
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