Conference, Today, Europe celebrates the 10th Annual European Day of Languages, a European Union initiative to appreciate linguistic diversity in Europe and promote language learning. You might think it a bit of an anorak subject, and perhaps it is, but as a trainee interpreter of French and Spanish, it’s my anorak subject. Britain cannot afford [...]
This week marks La Rentrée, the official end of the summer and start of the political year. This political year in particular will be important. With the Presidential elections in mid 2012, Nicolas Sarkozy is coming to the end of his first mandate, and at present his second one is by no means a fait [...]
I’m typing this from a hostel in Lisbon, so allow me to be brief. As I mentioned in my previous post on the Spanish economy, the President of the Government Zapatero canceled all his appointments, meetings and visits in order to present himself to the Congress of Deputies (the Parliament). Congress met specifically to debate [...]
While the new Lib Tory (others prefer to call it Con Dem) government settles in and blames the outgoing government with ambiguous comparisons to Greece, I think I should draw attention to Spain. Over the last few months living in Madrid, I’ve been in the thick of Spanish economic news and though I’m not an economist, I [...]
The problems in Greece are forcing the creation of the European Union’s own instrument to tackle financial crises in the euro zone. Proposals have surfaced from the European Commission which builds on suggestions from France and Germany to create a European Monetary Fund, in order to reinforce economic coordination and provide help to countries in [...]
It is refreshing to be able to write something about Jacob Rees-Mogg which isn’t describing some idiotic gaffe. Previously, he’s plagiarised the Sun, misappropriated council resources and claimed his house adjacent to Hyde Park makes him a local Somerset bloke. (See here for the list) This time though, it’s worth exposing a more malicious side [...]
There is a stigma that it is always the Left who will increase your taxes, as if the Right are completely incapable of doing it. In fact, right-wing UMP Mayor Christian Estrosi has made Nice the champion of all of France… for local tax increases! See the map for runners up: The tax rises he [...]
Yesterday was the first official day a cut in VAT (TVA) came into effect. Having criticised Gordon Brown not so long ago over his handling of the British economy, President Sarkozy decided to follow suit an implement his own temporary tax cut. Neoliberal Sarko is now nowhere to be found, but then again, it IS [...]
The pub culture is fighting for its life; people just are not drinking enough in pubs! Taking a (probably welcome) break from politics, I appeal to the best drinkers in town, you students, to rectify the situation to help me save an important part of Bath. Over Easter, I was working for Don Foster, Member [...]
