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Schuman Medal awarded to Reiner Kunze

Schuman Medal awarded to Reiner Kunze At the EPP Group Bureau Meeting in Dresden today, the Chairman of the EPP Group, Joseph Daul MEP, and the Head of the German CDU/CSU Delegation of the EPP Group, Herbert Reul MEP, presented the Robert Schuman Medal to the writer and dissident of the former East Germany, Reiner Kunze. The philosopher and journalist caused scandal in the former DDR again and again with releases such as the publication of the poetry book ‘Sensible Way Forty-Eight Poems and a Cycle’. In 1976 and later in the Federal Republic he published posturised... Read more

Marcin Święcicki: Józef Retinger, the Polish Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi

Marcin Święcicki Józef Retinger – the Polish Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi Marcin Święcicki (MP) is the President of the European Movement Forum, Poland. Joseph Retinger was born in 1888 in Krakow just 380 km from Vienna, in which Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi was raised. Both cities were located geographically and mentally in the region called Mitteleurope. At that time politically Krakow and Vienna belonged to Austro-Hungarian Empire, conglomerate of many middle-European nations. After graduating from the Catholic St. Anne high school in Krakow Retinger was accepted into the novitiate of the Jesuit Order in Rome, which, however, he soon left and... Read more

Jürgen Habermas: Democracy, Solidarity and the European Crisis

Jürgen Habermas Democracy, Solidarity and the European Crisis Lecture delivered on 26 April 2013 in Leuven Univ. The European Union owes its existence to the efforts of political elites who could count on the passive consent of their more or less indifferent populations as long as the peoples could regard the Union as also being in their economic interests all things considered. The Union legitimized itself in the eyes of the citizens primarily through its outcomes and not so much from the fact that it fulfilled the citizens’ political will. This state of affairs is explained not... Read more

Francis Fukuyama: Identity and migration

Francis Fukuyama Identity and migration Europe's failure to better integrate its Muslims is a ticking time bomb Journal of Democracy No 17, February 2006 Modern identity politics springs from a hole in the political theory underlying liberal democracy. That hole is liberalism's silence about the place and significance of groups. The line of modern political theory that begins with Machiavelli and continues through Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and the American founding fathers understands the issue of political freedom as one that pits the state against individuals rather than groups. Hobbes and Locke, for example, argue that human... Read more

Ian Traynor: Crisis for Europe as trust hits record low

Ian Traynor Crisis for Europe as trust hits record low The Guardian, 24 April 2013 Public confidence in the European Union has fallen to historically low levels in the six biggest EU countries, raising fundamental questions about its democratic legitimacy more than three years into the union's worst ever crisis, new data shows. After financial, currency and debt crises, wrenching budget and spending cuts, rich nations' bailouts of the poor, and surrenders of sovereign powers over policymaking to international technocrats, Euroscepticism is soaring to a degree that is likely to feed populist anti-EU politics and frustrate European leaders'... Read more

The first elections for Europarliament in Croatia: A failure

The first elections for Europarliament in Croatia: A failure Partly based on the Croatian euinside newsletter Who has won the election? The most precise answer is apathy. Voter turnout was 20.84%. The first European elections in Croatia is sending to Europarliament the right-wing politician Ruza Tomasic. Tomasic is said that Croatia's membership in the EU, scheduled for July 1st this year, is important because this will enhance the economic prosperity of the country because of the belonging to the European civilisational circle and will also enhance Croatia's national security. Not one word about the European family and the common cultural identity. This means... Read more

Umberto Eco: 'It's culture, not war, that cements European identity'

Umberto Eco It's culture, not war, that cements European identity Gianni Riotta – La Stampa. The Guardian, Thursday 26 January 2012. Outside Umberto Eco's office window in Milan looms the intimidating mass of Sforzesco castle, a reminder, with its towers and black birds, of various continental wars. Here once stood the 14th-century Castrum Portae Jovis – the Porta di Giove fortress – which was destroyed by the short-lived Aurea Republic of 1447. Between these walls, Leonardo Da Vinci and Donato Bramante once laboured; these very buttresses were conquered by Napoleon. And just beyond the moat – an... Read more

Le Goff, Jacques: What Constitutes Europe

Jacques Le Goff What Constitutes Europe From The Birth of Europe, translated by Janet Lloyd, Blackwell Publishing, USA 2005 From the vantage point of the twenty-first century -but not forgetting that the concept of a "century" was not invented until the end of the sixteenth century- the Europe of the late fifteenth century seems to have been, as it were, torn apart by new tensions: on the one hand the friction behind the internal splits in store for Europe (the Italian Wars, the Peasants' Wars in Germany, and the Reforms of Luther and Calvin), and on the... Read more

Giorgio Agamben: Introductory Note on the Concept of Democracy

Giorgio Agamben Introductory Note on the Concept of Democracy From Theory & Event. Vol. 13, No. 1, 2010. Any discussion of the term "democracy" today is distorted by a preliminary ambiguity that condemns those who use it to misunderstanding. Of what do we speak when we speak about democracy? To what form of rationality does this term actually pertain? A slightly more attentive observation would show that those who discuss democracy today understand this term sometimes as a form of the body politic's constitution, sometimes as a technique of government. The term thus refers both to... Read more

Hassiotis, I.K.: Eastern Europe in the early plans for European unification

I.K. Hassiotis Eastern Europe in the early plans for European unification (15th -7th centuries) From “The idea of European Community in History”, ed. National and Capodistrian University of Athens, Greek Ministry of education and religious affairs, Athens 2003. I MUST MAKE IT CLEAR from the outset that I shall not be discussing all of Eastern Europe here, but only Southeastern Europe. This is not to save space or time, but for more fundamental reasons. The various countries and peoples of the region were not automatically included in the plans for the pacification and unification of Christian... Read more

Takis S. Pappas: Why Greece Failed

Takis S. Pappas Why Greece Failed Mr. Pappas is an associate professor of comparative politics at the University of Macedonia, Greece and a Marie Curie Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. On 1 January 1981, Greece became the tenth member of what is now the European Union, well ahead of Spain and Portugal. This was a just reward for a country broadly seen at the time as an unqualified success story. Within just a few years after the 1974 breakdown of a fairly brief dictatorship (the so-called colonels’ regime that began in 1967), Greece... Read more

Florence exhibition evokes dawn of the Renaissance

Gildas Le Roux Florence exhibition evokes dawn of the Renaissance ArtDaily | Agence France-Presse The Renaissance really began in a few decades at the beginning of the 15th century in Florence -- an artistic revolution mapped out in a remarkable exhibition that brings together 140 sculptures and paintings from collections around the world. Works by masters including Donatello and Masaccio, Brunelleschi and Paolo Uccello have been loaned for the unprecedented show thanks to a partnership between the Louvre Museum in Paris and the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, itself a Renaissance jewel. "The exhibition aims to show that the... Read more

Femen Stages a 'Topless Jihad'
Femen A 'Topless Jihad' The Atlantic Earlier today, members of Ukrainian feminist group Femen staged protests across Europe as they called for a "topless jihad." The demonstrations were in support of a young Tunisian activist named Amina Tyler. Last month, Tyler posted naked…
Athanase Papandropoulos: If Germany leaves the Eurozone
Athanase Papandropoulos If Germany leaves the Eurozone This time the situation is indeed very serious. A new party made its appearance in German politics and is composed of economistes, lawyers and Christian Democrat politicians who believe in the dissolution of the…
Delors, Jacques:The credibility of the construction of Europe
Jacques Delors The credibility of the construction of Europe Address to the European Parliament, 18 February 1987. CVCE | Official Journal of the European Communities Mr President of the European Parliament, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, ladies and gentlemen, in January…
Patrick H. Daly: Reading History
Patrick H. Daly Reading History Europeinfos 159 - April 2013 "History", in the view of Henry Ford whose invention of the Model T was itself to change the course of history, is "bunk". One prominent architect of Europe as we know it…
Rijksmuseum opens on 13 April
Carol Vogel Glories Restored, Rijksmuseum Is Reopening After 10 Years The New York Times Since it opened in 1885, the Rijksmuseum here has been the greatest treasure house of the Dutch Golden Age, brimming with paintings by masters like Rembrandt, Vermeer, Jan Steen and…
British Museum presents major exhibition on Pompeii and Herculaneum
Alice Ritchie British Museum presents a major exhibition on the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum Artdaily Fleeing from a burning, volcanic cloud, the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum had little time to pack, snatching a lamp, some cash or the…
Attendance survey 2012: Tour de force show puts Tokyo on…
Javier Pes / Emily Sharpe Attendance survey 2012: Tour de force show puts Tokyo on top The Art Newspaper, April 2013 [extracts] The art of today might overshadow the art of the past in the salerooms and university lecture halls, but in…
Monnet, Jean: The first meeting of the High Authority of…
Jean Monnet The first meeting of the High Authority of the Coal and Steel Community Speech at the inauguration of the High Authority. Luxembourg, August 10th, 1952. Gentlemen, The first meeting of the High Authority of the Coal and Steel Community…
European solution to avoid Cypriot bankruptcy
European solution to avoid Cypriot bankruptcy The EPP Group considers that the agreement reached by the Eurogroup and the Cypriot authorities on the key elements for a future macroeconomic adjustment programme for Cyprus is better than last week's option…
Muslim Brotherhood Statement Denouncing UN Women Declaration
Muslim Brotherhood Statement Denouncing UN Women Declaration for Violating Sharia Principles IKHWANWEB, March 14, 2013 The 57th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), taking place from March 4 to 15 at UN headquarters, seeks to…
Olivier Holmey: The Jihad Against Culture
Olivier Holmey The Jihad Against Culture Standpoint Magazine March 2013 Until recently, our picture of Mali's heritage was a blurred one. If the events of the past year have served one purpose, it is to have brought it sharply into focus. Since April…
SYRIA: A training ground for European jihadists
SYRIA A training ground for European jihadists Jyllands-Posten, De Morgen, De Standaard When armed rebellion began in Syria two years ago, there were fears that European Muslims interested in jihad would go there to train to fight a holy war. If the…
BP to be Lead Sponsor of Historic Exhibition
BP is to be the lead sponsor of a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition which will bring masterpieces from the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg to Britain for a unique show at one of this country’s finest historic houses, Houghton in Norfolk, opening…
Energy: we need more Europe
Energy: we need more Europe instead of 170 different national promotion schemes for renewables EPP Group. Renewable energies in Europe ought to be promoted with the same criteria all over the EU. This would render support more efficient and would…
Organised crime, corruption and money laundering: The challenge
Organised crime, corruption and money laundering: "The challenge is a European approach with shared rules with Member States" EPP Group. Mid-term report presented in CRIM Committee. "The challenge is at European and international level: it is estimated that the global income from…
Jean-Claude Juncker: The Demons Haven't Been Banished
Jean-Claude Juncker 'The Demons Haven't Been Banished' Interview, 07/16/2012. Translated from the German by Paul Cohen. SPIEGEL: Mr. Prime Minister, it has been seven weeks since you stepped down as head of the Euro Group. Do you sometimes wake up in…
EP seats after 2014: MEPs back overall reform of the…
EP seats after 2014: MEPs back overall reform of the EU voting system. Rafał Trzaskowski and Carlo Casini. EPP Group. The future system of the distribution of seats among Member States in the European Parliament must be transparent, based on objective criteria…
Avi Benlolo: Hotbed of Hatred
Avi Benlolo Hotbed of Hatred Huffington Post, 02/21/2013 It's getting more and more difficult to be a Jew in France. Painful memories still reverberate as the country recently commemorated the seventh year since the brutal killing of Ilan Halimi, a 23-year-old young…
Jean-Dominique Giuliani: Parliament's Mistake
Jean-Dominique Giuliani Parliament's Mistake 03/04/2013 The European Parliament is about to make a terrible mistake. Since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty the Strasbourg Assembly has had to submit its composition to the Heads of State and Government - which…
European Affairs Network: interparliamentary cooperation deepens EU democracy
European Affairs Network: interparliamentary cooperation deepens EU democracy EPP Group National and European EPP parliamentarians yesterday discussed the Multiannual Financial Framework, the reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy and the role of national parliaments in strengthening the democratic legitimacy of…
Nemat Shafik: Europe, Toward A More Perfect Union
Nemat Shafik Europe: Toward A More Perfect Union International Monetary Fund February 15, 2013 During the years that followed the euro’s introduction, financial integration proceeded rapidly and markets and governments hailed it as a sign of success. The widespread belief…
Editorial: Pope Benedict XVI
Editorial Pope Benedict XVI We respect His decision silently. Analyses, scouting and reports of His motives are old wives tales. Just something to remember: In Called to Communion, published in 1996, a decade before the beginning of his papacy,…
Gordon N. Bardos: Iran in the Balkans; a History and…
Gordon N. Bardos Iran in the Balkans: A History and a Forecast World Affairs, January/February 2013 As the possibility of an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities continues to loom over the strategic horizon, despite continued claims by the US that sanctions are…
Matthias Schulz The Last Supper; Germany's Great Church Sell-Off
Matthias Schulz The Last Supper: Germany's Great Church Sell-Off Spiegel, February 14, 2013. Translated from the German by Ella Ornstein. Dwindling church attendance and dire financial straits are forcing the Catholic and Protestant Churches in Germany to sell off church buildings en…
Joachim Gauck: Speech on prospects for the European idea
Joachim Gauck Speech on prospects for the European idea Schloss Bellevue, 22 February 2013 Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, There has never been this much Europe! I say that as someone who is profoundly grateful to be able to look across this room and…
Bosnian extremist wants to tax non-Muslims
SARAJEVO Bosnian extremist wants to tax non-Muslims b92 | Tanjug A Bosnian Wahhabi leader was heard calling for a ten-percent tax to be introduced for Serbs and Croats in that country - modeled after Ottoman practices. A video was posted on YouTube showing…
Tim King: Referendums are not the right way to address…
Tim King Referendums are not the right way to address the European Union's democratic deficit 07 February 2013, Opening Remarks. An obsession with referendums used to be just one of the various eccentricities of Switzerland. Nowadays it is common also to the…
Μasterpieces on St. Peter at Castel Sant'Angelo
ANSAmed Μasterpieces on St. Peter, at Castel Sant'Angelo Works on history of Christianity from 4th-20th centuries. The Vatican on Tuesday introduced a new exhibit of paintings and sculptures by the likes of Jan Breughel and Guido Reni, which opens [February 6th]…
Swedberg, Richard: The Idea of 'Europe' and the Origin of…
Richard Swedberg The Idea of 'Europe' and the Origin of the European Union A Sociological Approach Stockholm University, Department of Sociology, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden. Notes and references are excluded. A united Europe is not a modern expedient, be it political or…
Guy Millière: Anti-Semitism in Europe
Guy Millière Anti-Semitism in Europe The Gatestone Institute, January 31, 2013 In 2012, the number of anti-Semitic crimes in France sharply increased. The six-month period that followed the March killings in a Jewish school in Toulouse were particularly harsh. The…
Alessandro Calcagno: European Year of Citizens 2013: it’s on!
Alessandro Calcagno European Year of Citizens 2013: it’s on! europeinfos A recent survey revealed that many European citizens are not adequately informed about the rights deriving from their EU citizenship. The European Union intends to address this problem. The European Union…
Jean-Marc Vittori: Long live Europe without the UK!
Jean-Marc Vittori Long live Europe without the UK! Open Europe blog Last week, we noted how the German media's reaction to David Cameron's Europe speech had been cautious, but receptive. Unsurprisingly, the French press has been much less receptive to the British…