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The fear in Paris is that the Commission is turning a blind eye to the growing distrust and resentment among Europeans about corruption in the EU institutions, which EU-critical parties are gladly capitalising on.

France wants EU corruption watchdog with teeth

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, November 1, 2023

In the wake of the Qatargate scandal, France wants an EU corruption watchdog with teeth, a watchdog with real powers to check officials income

But no ‘world power’ EU is stiffening and failing to live up to the fine words about European values.

EU sidelined again

By: N. Peter Kramer | Monday, October 23, 2023

The European Union is sidelined in the war between Israel and Hamas

The visit to Israel by Commission President Von der Leyen led to confusing communications. It was absolutely not necessary to immediately take a plane to the conflict region.

Von der Leyen’s blunders

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, October 18, 2023

The EU communication about the war between Israel and Hamas was contradictory and confusing

France and Germany are fighting on subjects that affect their capacity to reach a steady recovering following COVID and the war in Ukraine.

When Olaf met Emmanuel…

By: EBR | Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Ministers from the two biggest EU countries, Germany and France, meet twice a year for a joint-cabinet meeting, this time in Hamburg

Not long after the Czech government, Austrian colleagues also took the decision to introduce controls with Slovakia.

Bye bye Schengen?

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, October 4, 2023

On Monday the Polish government informed their Czech neigbours that controls at the Polish-Slovak border would be introduced

“The temporary restrictions will help saturate the fuel market, which in turn will lower prices for consumers in Russia,” said Interfax, the Russian government news agency.

Is Putin flexing his (energy) muscles?

By: N. Peter Kramer | Tuesday, September 26, 2023

The fact that Russia is banning the export of diesel and gasoline is causing rising prices for European car drivers further on the already tight global fuel market

In a statement Ukraine let know that ’it is crucially important for us to prove that individual EU member states cannot ban import of Ukrainian goods. That is why we are filing lawsuits against them (Slovakia, Poland and Hungary) to the World Trade Organisation.

Ukraine sues EU neighbours over food imports ban

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest suppliers of crops such as sunflower oil, wheat, barley and maize

Not surprising that a day after Michel told ‘fairy tales’, the European Commission pushed back. The President of the European Council had not even consulted the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

‘EU’s odd couple’ clashes again

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, August 30, 2023

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, urged ‘enlargement’ of the European Union before 2030

The violence that followed the death of 17 years old Nahel in Nanterre has exposed several pain points. One of them is police violence.

After the riots, the French malaise becomes clear

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, July 5, 2023

The flames have been extinguished, the smoke over France is beginning to clear

And that suffering is immense. After the rash and chaotic departure, a nightmare began in Kabul.

The Afghan people is paying a horrible price for Biden’s retreat

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Until August 15, 2021, Afghanistan depended on an infusion of international aid

The proposal includes legally binding targets to restore nature and reverse biodiversity loss in agriculture, forests, oceans and urban areas.

The dilemma of the Nature Restoration Law

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, June 14, 2023

In June 2022 the European Commission tabled the Nature Restoration Law

This concerns the ‘European citizen’ him/herself. The so-called ‘no demos’ thesis argues that due to the lack of homogeneity among different memberstates, it is not possible to speak of ‘European citizens’.

The lack of legitimacy of the European Parliament

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, May 31, 2023

The most striking reason for the European Parliament’s lack of legitimacy is the traditional low turnout for EP elections

Timmermans wants to bring the law to the European Parliament (EP). Whether it will be approved there remains to be seen. The nature -restoration law is getting more and more opposition.

Has Timmermans to climb down on his EU nature-restoration law proposal?

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, May 24, 2023

EU Commissioner Frans Timmermans, one of the Vice-Presidents of the European Commission, is working on an ambitious law to help restore nature in the European Union

This week’s review by the OECD says: “The German economy has structural weaknesses’.

OECD: ‘German economy has structural weaknesses’

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, May 10, 2023

If Germany had to compete against France in economic performance, it would be loose

The European Commission has a plan to increase the capacity for ammunition producing to 1 million a year, to arm Ukraine and refill its own stocks. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel have used the war to make the EU closer.

The EU: from Venus to Mars

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Once was stated that America lives on Mars and Europe on Venus. Times have change

Beijing distanced itself clearly and immediately from their diplomat in Paris.

The thorny EU relation with China

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, April 26, 2023

A statement made by China’s ambassador to France caused an uproar by questioning the independence of nations that had previously been part of the USSR

Now, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell is expected to travel to Beijing the end of this week. To try to present a unified EU front on China policy.

The divided EU, this time on China policy

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, April 12, 2023

On a flight from Beijing to Guangzhou last week, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters that the European Union should avoid becoming a ‘vassal’ of the United States on China, especially urging distance concerning any potential military aid to Taiwan.

It will be difficult for Von der Leyen and Macron to show one EU face.

Von der Leyen and Macron in Beijing: a tale of two EU’s

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, April 5, 2023

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron are in Beijing for a so called ‘key visit’

Proponents, led by France, want nuclear-made hydrogen to count in the new EU targets for renewable energy. Paris says that the EU cannot achieve the climate goals without nuclear energy.

Role of nuclear energy divides again the EU

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, March 29, 2023

The role of nuclear energy in tackling climate change is once again a divisive issue in the European Union

But is French democracy functioning? Faith in conventional politics and the parliamentary system is in fact at rock-bottom. How else to explain the collapse of Gaullists and Socialists, who ran France for more than half a century. And Macron only narrowly could defeat the far-right candidate for the Presidency.

‘Blame 49.3. Blame Macron’, Democracy French style

By: N. Peter Kramer | Tuesday, March 21, 2023

French President Macron’s decision to push through his pension-change plan via a controversial constitutional article (the so-called 49.3 procedure) that sidelines the parliament added fuel to the fire

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EU Actually

Is France setting the tone for modern agricultural laws?

By: N. Peter Kramer

Following promises made to protesting farmers, the French government has presented a new draft of the agricultural policy law

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04/2021 2021

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EU’s 2050 net zero goals at risk as EV rollout faces setbacks

The EU needs to rethink its policies to make a 2035 ban on new petrol car sales feasible as electric vehicles (EVs) remain unaffordable and alternative fuel options are not credible, the EU’s external auditor said

Business

Artificial intelligence and competitiveness in the retail sector

The importance of AI and machine learning in the retail market is confirmed by the projected dramatic growth of AI services worldwide, which will skyrocket from $5 billion to $30 billion by 2030