European Politics Thread.

[Frisbee]

Bah, Belgium's province of Luxemburg and the country Luxemburg right next to it?
This happens on such a scale in so many countries...

[Radnik]

@placebo

...i`m not quite shure about this thread , like if i would like to discuss about Kosovo or something related with that issue what i have to do, just start new post or ... ...and if there are serval threads, like about "Macedonia" or "Kosovo" or "whatever" how can we know after, lets say 5-6 pages, what post is for what ...

[IsthatyouJohnWayne]

~I would suggest (not being a MOD) that if you want to discuss kosovan or balkan politics, this is an (or the) appropriate place, but if you want to discuss military conflict, another thread would be created. Im not sure i understand your second question right but if i do, i think the answer is pay attention.

[Placebo]

@placebo

...i`m not quite shure about this thread , like if i would like to discuss about Kosovo or something related with that issue what i have to do, just start new post or ... ...and if there are serval threads, like about "Macedonia" or "Kosovo" or "whatever" how can we know after, lets say 5-6 pages, what post is for what ...

If it's about anywhere in the Balkans put it here, if it's more about fighting terrorism put it in the war on terror thread, if it's about the middle east put it in the middle east thread, if it's about Iraq put it in the Iraq thread

[Xawery]

Hello all,

on December 4th, a European intellectual summit, titled "Europe. A Beautiful Idea?" will be held in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Renowned politicians, historians, writers and artists from all over the world will gather in the Van Nelle Fabriek to discuss the European identity, culture, education and values. The secondary theme will be the relationship between the United States of American and Europe.

Speakers include: Atzo Nicolaď, Adam Zagajewski, Modris Eksteins, Karl Schlögel, Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha, Kalypso Nicolaidis, Bassam Tibi, Miguel Maduro, Jacqueline de Romilly, George Klein, Adam Zamoyski, Ivan Fischer, Yvonne van Rooy, Jos de Mul, Gianni Vattimo, Tzvetan Todorov, Michael Sandel, Thomas Pangle, Marjolijn Februari, Jan Peter Balkenende, ZKH Prins Hassan bin Talal, José Manuel Barroso, Fritz Stern, Mario Vargas Llosa and Timothy Garton Ash. The discussion are, naturally, conducted in English.

This summit, the final one in a series of five (previous summits were held in the Hague, Warsaw, Berlin and Washington) is organised by the Nexus Institute. They describe themselves as follows:The Nexus Institute looks at the European cultural heritage in a social, philosophical and artistic context. The Institute is renowned for the quality with which it offers insight into contemporary issues and seeks to give shape to an informed debate. Nexus aims at erudition coupled with tolerance; it is opposed to all forms of narrowmindedness such as sectarianism and chauvinism; it seeks neither the misery of knowing nothing nor the arrogance of knowing all.

Programme
09.00 A word of welcome Rob Riemen
09.10 Introductory remarks Atzo Nicolaď

Session I: A citizen of Europe
09.20 Lecture by Adam Zagajewski
10.00 Discussion moderated by Rob Riemen, with Modris Eksteins, Karl Schlögel, Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha, Kalypso Nicolaidis, Bassam Tibi and Miguel Maduro

11.15 Break

Session II: European Culture and Education
11.40 Lecture by Jacqueline de Romilly
12.10 Discussion moderated by Rob Riemen, with George Klein, Adam Zamoyski, Ivan Fischer, Yvonne van Rooy and Jos de Mul

13.30 Lunch

14.15 Concert: Schönberg Ensemble with Folk songs by Luciano Berio

Session III: Euopean Values. The Philosophical Debate
14.45 Discussion moderated by Marjolijn Februari with Gianni Vattimo, Tzvetan Todorov, Michael Sandel and Thomas Pangle

16.00 Break

Session IV: Final debate. Europe. A Beautiful Idea? Agenda for the Future.
16.30 Discussion moderated by Timothy Garton Ash, with Jan Peter Balkenende, HRH Prins Hassan bin Talal, José Manuel Barroso, Fritz Stern and Mario Vargas Llosa
18.00 Concluding remarks Jan Peter Balkenende
18.10 Closing Rob Riemen
18.15 Reception

I would like to invite everyone with interest for the concept of a common European identity and the ability to reach Rotterdam to attend. I have heard some of the attending speakers discuss matters before and those are very erudite men and women indeed.
The costs are not extraordinarily high, I believe it's 20 EUR for a student, but one does have to make a reservation in advance. You can look up more info at www.nexus-institute.nl

Well worth the effort.

[denoir]

Looks very interesting. I have a shitload of meetings on 3/12, but I'll check for a suitable flight. If it works out time-wise, I might pop by.

[Pathy]

Before you know it, itll turn into a meeting for OFP fans....

[Xawery]

Heheh. I wouldn't mind meeting some of you chaps in a cultural environment. Besides, with a wee bit of good will, one could ascribe European integration to such boundry-spanning projects like OFP

[Ex-RoNiN]

Exam time - bah

[denoir]

Looks like we'll be getting the new comission soon

New commissioners win MEP support [BBC]

Quote[/b] ]
New candidates for the reshuffled European Commission have won support from MEPs after grillings at the European Parliament. Hungary's Laszlo Kovacs, Italy's Franco Frattini and Latvia's Andris Piebalgs were interviewed on Monday and Tuesday. Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso had been forced to change his proposed team after it became clear that MEPs would reject his original line-up.

A vote on the reshuffled commission is due to take place on Thursday. Mr Frattini was questioned by MEPs for three hours on Monday.

He refused to condemn the views of his predecessor Rocco Buttiglione, which had in part led to the reshuffle. Mr Buttiglione, when nominated as justice commissioner, had upset MEPs with his conservative views on women and homosexuals.

The threat that the commission would be rejected meant Mr Barroso reshuffled his team, with Mr Frattini in place of Mr Buttiglione. Mr Frattini told the panel that he would promote tolerance and uphold minority rights. The BBC's Chris Morris said it was a confident performance in the face of some fairly searching questions.

At one stage he was forced to deny that he was a Freemason and at others he had to insist that he would remain entirely independent of the Italian government led by Silvio Berlusconi. But Mr Frattini said he would represent Europe as a whole, not a political party in Italy.

MEPs are reported to have said he gave "a convincing impression of his personal and professional capacity" for the job. Questions had also been raised over the original choice of Mr Kovacs for the energy portfolio after his disappointing performance in his first nomination hearing. But he is said to have redeemed himself on Tuesday as he sat for the taxation and customs job in the reshuffled commission.

Militia claims

He said he was in favour of fiscal competition and was against a French proposal to cut aid to new EU member states who attract investors with lower corporate tax rates. He said companies did not move from one country to another for that reason alone.

"Fiscal competition is not damaging as such," he said.

He also defended having been a member of the Communist Party before 1989, which has drawn criticism from some parts of the EU. He denied claims that he had been part of the workers' militia or relations with the secret services.

"In my background, there is nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed of," he said. Some analysts say Mr Kovacs came across as better prepared than for the energy portfolio hearing before the reshuffle.

Mr Piebalgs is said to have had no problem convincing the Industry, Research and Energy Committee of his fitness to be energy commissioner. The head of the European People's Party, Hans Gert Poettering, said: "I'm going to recommend to my group that we give very solid support to the commission on Thursday, and I have no doubt that the great majority of my group will follow that recommendation."

I watched one of the hearings, and I must say that I was impressed. I only hope we in Sweden will one day get procedures for such thorough scrutiny of our local politicians.