Overview for eu

Speak Latvian, Or Else

It sounds like the nightmare of many cultural relativists: policemen barge through the doors of retail-stores, super-markets, and malls and charge immigrants with fines if they are not proficient in the native language or aware of its fine phonetics. What sounds rather bizarre is custom in Latvia, …

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Written by Robin Tim Weis on Wednesday October 5, 2011

Will America Pay for Europe's Bailout?

In my column for CNN, I discuss what sort of bailout Europe will need when it finally confronts the full scale of its debt crisis: It's been obvious for some time now what has to be done to avert the bank run: a European Super TARP, a version of the Troubled Asset Relief Program that was used …

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Written by David Frum on Monday October 3, 2011

The EU's Big Fat Greek Mess

Herman van Rompuy is neither a "poet lost in politics," nor “charismatic,” but rather a timid church mouse - precisely the sort of leader that a lowest common denominator institution like the EU requires. This reputation has dogged Von Rompuy ever since his contested appointment as President of the …

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Written by Robin Tim Weis on Friday September 30, 2011

Be Euro-Scared, Very Euro-Scared

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Written by David Frum on Thursday August 11, 2011

Greece's Tough Deal

A friend's weekend quip: "Anne Mansouret described her sexual affair with ex IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn as 'consensual but brutal.' That's also a good description of Greece's deal with its bondholders and other EU countries."

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Written by David Frum on Monday July 25, 2011

Europe's Newest Budget Bust

Following the collapse of its government Wednesday, Portugal seems almost certain to become the third EU country to accept an EU-financed bailout. Following the collapse of its government Wednesday and its parliament’s refusal to accept a budget, Portugal seems almost certain to become the third …

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Written by Eli Lehrer on Friday March 25, 2011

EU Pols Busted in Bribes for Bills Scandal

The EU's efforts towards more transparent government took another blow last week as two MEPs resigned after being caught accepting a bribe. The EU’s relationship with transparency has never been its forte in the past. Its track-record recently taking another beating as two EU MEPs  (Slovenian …

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Written by Robin Tim Weis on Monday March 21, 2011

On Libya: Europe Leads, Obama Stalls

There's a striking paradox over the response to Libya: those with the will to act (France) don't have the means; those with the means (the US) don't have the will. Here's text of a statement from the French government on Libya. It raises a striking paradox about Libya: those who have the will to …

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Written by David Frum on Thursday March 10, 2011