Europe

Icelanders uncertain about EU accession »

The EU started membership negotiations with Iceland on Tuesday. The country applied for membership last year as it stood on the verge of state bankruptcy. But the accession is subject to a referendum and its outcome is uncertain, the press writes. No such thing as...

EU economic government damaging for the EU »

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have spoken out in favour of a European economic government for all 27 states. The initiative is harming the EU, writes the daily Der Standard: “A budget plan for the next few years in EU states...

Fortress Europe turns 25 »

The town of Schengen in Luxembourg will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement on a Europe without borders on Sunday. But since its introduction Europe has only sealed itself off from the outside world, writes the daily Le Quotidien: “The ideal of freedom...

EU wants Swiss money »

EU tax commissioner Algirdas Šemeta has announced plans to increase pressure on Switzerland to make progress on an anti-fraud agreement aimed at facilitating the identification of illicit earnings on Swiss bank accounts. The pressure on Switzerland has grown mainly because the EU states need money,...

Separatist protest vote in Belgium »

The Flemish separatists have emerged as the strongest party from Belgium’s early parliamentary elections. In the Francophone southern half of the country the Socialist Party came out well ahead of outgoing Prime Minister Yves Leterme’s Christian Democrats. Although the separatists’ victory does not mean Belgium...