Articles archive
Solution to Iran problem can come from within
The recent victory of the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, or PMOI/MEK, in being removed from a US list of terrorist groups may offer a different and novel alternative in dealing with the Islamic Republic, writes David Amess
Unemployment rises and experts warn of worse to come
Unemployment in the eurozone rose to a new record high of 11.6 per cent in September – and economists warned that the figure could rise much further over the coming months
EU rule of law mission in Kosovo criticised
European Union support for Kosovo in the field of the rule of law has been insufficient despite the newly independence state being the largest per capita recipient of EU financial aid in the world, a report has concludes
World changing for 'behind closed doors' EU agencies
EU agencies work on diverse issues that are vital to Europeans' daily life – and citizens are increasingly demanding transparency and value-for money in the way they work, writes Monica Macovei
EU wary of new Soviet empire in disguise
Is the Eurasian Economic Commission set to become the next regional government, or is it little more than a horse-rabbit stew? Justin Stares charts the rise of the Russian 'Eurocrat'
Europe's protests fuelled by 'frustration with democracy'
The economic crisis is not the only reason protests have spread around Europe – there is also a deeper cynicism about politics and its ability to solve problems that has to be addressed, write Corina Stratulat and Claire Dhéret
Myanmar opens to the world - but seals off minorities
Myanmar is opening up to the rest of the world after 50 years of isolation, but nearly half the country is closed to new developments as ethnic minorities struggle to come to terms with the central government, reports Francesco Guarascio
UK 'cannot argue' over prisoner votes ruling
A row in the UK over votes for prisoners has been inflated for political reasons – but the government must act according to the law and accept by the European Court of Human Rights' ruling, writes Roger Smith
Blair calls for directly elected EU president
Tony Blair reiterates his view that an elected EU president would be 'the most direct way to involve the public' in closing the bloc's democratic deficit as part of a 'grand bargain' solution to the crisis
Boardroom quotas for women 'demeaning'
Enforcing quotas for women on company boards does not work – and while voluntary change may take longer, it will deliver real sustainable results, writes Baroness Mary Goudie
Scottish independence and the EU: a solution
There is no precedent to determine the place of an independent Scotland in the EU, with some in the bloc even seeing it as an opportunity to be rid of the UK itself – but ironically the answer could be found in the British constitution, write Arno Engel and Roderick Parkes
EU leaders 'spellbound by austerity fiasco'
Recessionary austerity measures are leading Europe back to 19th century levels of inequality – and reducing the EU budget will aggravate the situation, writes Alda Sousa
Parliament's power is being passed to the banks
The views of the banking industry are drowning out those of wider civil society due to the financial sector's large donations to political parties - claims Gary Brooks
The EU budget row just got serious
Recalcitrant member states like Britain regard an above-inflation EU budget rise as excessive at a time of belt-tightening. So the question is whether there are qualified majorities to make the change and to go on to adopt a framework in which the likes of David Cameron are out-voted. Our secret columnist examines the evidence
Advancing humanitarian disarmament: the way forward
The success of the mine ban and cluster munitions treaties show that civil society support is essential to any effort aimed at tackling disarmament challenges from a humanitarian perspective – writes Mary Wareham