http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/eu/ en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:12:04 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418442/posts An 11-person European Parliament delegation is scheduled to visit Tehran next week, drawing a rebuke from U.S. lawmakers concerned the visit could legitimize Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government. The Jan. 7-11 mission marks the first visit by a Western parliamentary body to Tehran in more than a year. It comes as Mr. Ahmadinejad's security forces have accelerated a crackdown on Iran's political opposition. The trip, set to occur a week after the expiration of President Barack Obama's deadline for Iran to respond to international calls for negotiations over its nuclear program, is feeding debate among the U.S. and its European... WSJ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418442/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:12:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418432/posts The Obama Administration and its European allies are currently looking at a menu of "focused sanctions" on Iran and its leadership. A month ago they were obsessing over China and Russia's cooperation on indubitably innocuous U.N. Security Council sanctions. In both cases, they have the wrong target in mind. Security Council resolutions and focused sanctions serve as public relations window-dressing. Europe is the key to any meaningful behavior-modifying sanctions on Iran. The continued focus on Russia and China's intransigence is allowing Europe to stay under the radar. Iran has been under three Security Council sanctions in the past decade, while... WSJ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418432/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:03:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413526/posts The credibility of the European Union’s flagship carbon trading scheme was dealt another blow on Monday after carbon prices fell to six-month lows as UN talks in Copenhagen failed to deliver a strong climate deal. Traders and analysts say low prices could continue well into 2010, slowing investment in low-carbon technologies which have already been dented by tight financing due to a slow economy. “(The low price) reinforces the idea that relying solely on the EU ETS to drive investment is probably not the answer at the moment,” said Andy Kelly, head of business development at Centrica. “This does give... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413526/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:13:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2413080/posts We continually see how Muslims in the West use our freedoms against us to advance Islam. Now they have created this council to brush up on their skills on how to destroy us from within. The rules need to change, otherwise we will eventually lose this war. Logan's Warning http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2413080/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:15:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411399/posts The first blow has been struck against the encroaching tyranny of the European Union and it is a significant one. In fact, one member state has defiantly drawn a line in the sand and signalled that it will not tolerate erosion of its sovereignty. Although it attracted little attention when it was published last month, now that commentators have had an opportunity to analyse Sentenza N. 311 by the Italian Constitutional Court, its monumental significance in rolling back the Lisbon Treaty is now being appreciated. (Hat tip, as they say, to Dr Piero Tozzi.) The Constitutional Court ruled baldly that,... Telegraph..co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411399/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:02:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410868/posts Socialism: If you don't think heavy regulation, elephantine bureaucracies, union rule and runaway spending amount to poison for an economy, take a gander at what decades of such socialist policies have done to Greece. Last week, the tiny Balkan state seemed like a blazing house threatening to set the rest of its European Union neighborhood on fire. It started when Greece earned the first of two sovereign downgrades from ratings agency Fitch over its $436 billion budget deficit. Then Standard & Poor's cut Greece to BBB+ from A- and sternly warned that if the government didn't get serious about controlling... Investors.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410868/posts#comment Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:20:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2411150/posts Just a short update on an important story this week. I will be talking about it on Jimmy DeYoung's Prophecy Today on the radio tomorrow. As I have mentioned before, the EU's new foreign policy chief officially began took her position on December 1. I noted that I thought this diplomatic corps aspect of the EU would move quickly and take the helm of foreign policy for the EU. The policy chief, Catherine Ashton, speaking at the EU Parliament, came out strongly against the state of Israel. She called East Jerusalem "occupied territory." She demanded the immediate lifting of the... The Ignorant Fishermen blog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2411150/posts#comment Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:36:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409997/posts Dec. 16, 2009, 7:00 p.m. EST Debt disaster fears rumble from Athens to London Game of chicken for bond spreads: Will E.U. honor 'no bailout' clause? By Polya Lesova, MarketWatch FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) -- Rumors of a debt disaster are swirling around Europe, from Athens to Madrid and all the way to London. Investors have rushed to sell Greek bonds since the newly elected government of George Papandreou made a startling revelation: the deficit will soar to over 12% of gross domestic product this year, well above previous official projections. Greece's predicament has escalated concerns about contagion in other European countries... Market Watch http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409997/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:36:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409858/posts If you want to understand what's really going on in the alleged Israel-Palestinian peace process-beyond the babble that progress is being made, it's all Israel's fault, and everyone is working hard on it-here's what you need to know. For the present, the Palestinian leadership isn't interested in pursuing negotiations with Israel because it has a different strategy: get everything it wants from others without making any concessions. First, the Palestinian Authority (PA) came very close to obtaining a European Union (EU) resolution which made it sound like the Palestinian state with its capital in east Jerusalem is an accomplished fact. The... Gloria Center http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409858/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:50:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409601/posts Credit downgrade deals fresh blow to Greek economy by John Hadoulis Wed Dec 16, 4:09 pm ET ATHENS (AFP) – Greece was hit with a credit rating downgrade on Wednesday in a fresh blow for the government as it grapples with a crisis that has raised wider fears over debt levels in other European economies. Greek trade unionists meanwhile prepared to take to the streets on Thursday in a show of force against austerity measures unveiled earlier this week by Prime Minister George Papandreou in a bid to tame spiralling debt levels. International ratings agency Standard and Poor's (SP) lowered... AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409601/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:00:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408749/posts A "must view" video showing an outspoken British politician criticizing the EU and its new Foreign Minister, on November 25'th of this year. Video contains some remarkably candid and unflattering comments regarding the establishment of the European Union. Running time just over nine minutes. YouTube http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408749/posts#comment Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:44:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408232/posts They may be focused on global warming in Copenhagen, but in many other parts of Europe the focus at the moment is more on how to warm up. Temperatures in Moscow have plunged to minus 21 degrees celsius (minus 70 fahrenheit) after the city had its warmest December day in recorded history earlier this month. The average winter temperature in Moscow is minus two degrees celsius (minus 25 fahrenheit). Euronews.net http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408232/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:06:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407140/posts Britain is the only European country President Barack Obama can really count on to respond positively to his plea for NATO to provide extra forces for Afghanistan. So why is it, then, that the Obama administration can barely conceal its disdain for a nation that, by its deeds, time and again proves itself to be America's staunchest and most reliable ally? Shortly before Mr. Obama's Afghan policy speech at West Point earlier this month, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Britain was sending another 500 troops to that beleaguered country, bringing the total number of British troops to around 10,000.... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407140/posts#comment Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:39:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407243/posts TurkeyÂ’s political elite is obsessed with joining the European Union. But senior players in the EU – in a rare moment of clarity amid their delusional fantasies of a federal Europe – are reluctant to let in a country which is increasingly hard to distinguish from the rest of the Islamic world. HereÂ’s a tip for Turkish campaigners for EU membership: if you want to win over Herman Van Rompuy, best not set up your headquarters in a building confiscated from your countryÂ’s oppressed Orthodox Christian minority. This how the Un:dhimmi website reports the controversy: Unbelievable but true: the headquarters... telegraph.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407243/posts#comment Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:01:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1463383/posts THE land of Goethe and Schiller has become the nation of "yeah but, no but" as purists complain that the Germans have forgotten how to speak their own language correctly. Already irked by the influx of English words into their vernacular, defenders of the EU's most widely spoken first language are finding themselves driven to despair by the inability of their fellow citizens to master even basic German grammar. The world of Vorsprung durch Technik is already in turmoil over a controversial spelling reform which has been boycotted by many publishers and two German regions. To add insult to injury,... Scotland on Sunday http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1463383/posts#comment Mon, 15 Aug 2005 00:37:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406632/posts BONN, Germany (Reuters) - The European Union must boost economic growth and commit to fighting climate change to ensure the survival of its social model and of the planet, the new EU President Herman Van Rompuy said on Thursday. Reuters UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406632/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:14:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405879/posts BRUSSELS – European Union leaders on Friday urged international action against Iran because of its refusal to cooperate over its nuclear program, as the threat of new sanctions looms. WSJ/AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405879/posts#comment Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:02:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405479/posts BRUSSELS (AP) -- European Union leaders called for a global financial transaction levy and more responsible banking pay in the hopes it could help buffer against future market crises, according to a joint statement published Friday. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said there was "growing support" across the world for such a levy and that other EU nations were supportive of Britain's plans for a one-off tax of 50 percent for all bonuses of more than more than 25,000 pounds ($40,800.) France says it will follow suit -- and called on others to join them. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said,... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405479/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:55:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405363/posts With a Conservative Government the favourite to take power in Britain next year, Baroness Ashton of Upholland is racing against time to establish a pan-European diplomatic service before David Cameron can clip its wings. Some European leaders and MEPs want the new External Action Service (EAS) that she will oversee to become a federal Foreign Office for the EU with full consular powers, making it Europe’s pre-eminent presence around the world. But the battle is on to shape it before a possible change of government in Britain. “We would like everything in place before David Cameron becomes Prime Minister,” said... The Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405363/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:35:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405310/posts EU leaders agreed Friday to commit euro2.4 billion ($3.6 billion) a year until 2012 to help poorer countries combat global warming, as they sought to rescue their image as climate change innovators and bolster talks in Copenhagen. French President Nicolas Sarkozy says the offer "puts Europe in a leadership role in Copenhagen," where international negotiators are seeking a long-term way to slow the warming of the planet. All 27 members of the European Union will commit money to a short-term fund for poorer countries, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said after two days of difficult talks at a summit in... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405310/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:21:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2404727/posts The Lisbon Treaty is Ratified The Lisbon Treaty is a reformatted "treaty" to replace the constitution thatfailed ratification owing to the French and Dutch rejection of it a few years ago. As is typical for the EU, they merely repackaged it, renamed it, and passed it by having the individual nation's parliaments approved it, instead of allowing the people to vote on it (Ireland was an exception to this). Jean Monnet, the true founder of the EU, suggested that to obtain passage of significant matters in the EU; never allow the people to vote onthe issue. That advice is now... The Ignorant Fishermen Blog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2404727/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:15:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404360/posts Hedge Funds Target Euro Zone's Weak BY JOANNA SLATER, GREGORY ZUCKERMAN AND CASSELL BRYAN-LOW The sudden spotlight on troubled government borrowers is presenting a long-awaited payday for investors who placed early bets against countries now under pressure. Investors including Balestra Capital Ltd., Hayman Capital Partners LP, North Asset Management LLP and Pivot Capital Management Ltd. have been anticipating such flare-ups for at a year or longer, betting that some countries would emerge from the financial crisis in much worse shape than others. Those bearish positions had led to a difficult 2009, as investor confidence picked up and rivals gained by... WSJ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404360/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:14:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403507/posts Baroness Vadera: 'I Still Have Nightmares About The Financial Crisis'Baroness Vadera, the adviser to the G20 Presidency, has warned that some of Europe's biggest banks have yet to "come clean" on the extent of their losses and could still provide shocks to the financial system. By Louise Armitstead Published: 9:14PM GMT 08 Dec 2009 The former Government minister and one of the architects of the British efforts to rescue the financial system, told a high-level business conference in Sussex: "I don't think we are through it yet… an IMF study showed at the middle of this year that banks had... The Telegraph (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403507/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 05:57:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2402167/posts Trilateral Commission member Lykke Friis will head and chair the United Nations Copenhagen meeting in December, this confirms that there will be a pushing towards a new world order, when it is not someone from Bilderberg heading some government agenda then we see people from the Trilateral commission running things. Mario Borghezio ranted the other day at the lack of transparency in the EU government as the head and the first president of the EU is a also a Bilderberg member that was not elected by the people of the EU but rather selected by a group of secretive globalists.... fto http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2402167/posts#comment Mon, 7 Dec 2009 18:22:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2400284/posts Athens, Greece, Dec 4, 2009 / 06:55 am (CNA).- The head of the Greek Orthodox Church has voiced his opposition to a court ban on crucifixes in classrooms in Italy and will hold an emergency synod to lay out a plan of action to combat the ban. Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece said that the European Court of Human Rights (EHCR) had ignored the role of Christianity in Europe’s history. According to the BBC, he added that majorities, not only minorities, have rights.The Orthodox Church fears the EHCR ruling could trigger similar rulings about the public display of... cna http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2400284/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 16:50:24 GMT