Articles archive
Catalonia wants independence, not Spanish austerity
Spain's dual crises of social and economic unrest, paired with an unprecedented loosening of the bonds that tie it together as a nation, make it perhaps the most apt microcosm of today's European Union - warns Nicholas Siegel
EU political union would need a real defence capability
Political union and foreign policy are usually flanked by a defence capability and while the EU has a collection of notional military assets on call, they are rarely activated. Our secret columnist wonders if this will ever change, given the dominance of certain military member states
Markets and euro hit as crisis deepens
Growing fears that Spain will need a full sovereign bail-out, and renewed doubts about Greece's ability to meet the conditions imposed by international lenders, spook markets as eurozone debt continues to rise
Banks and regulators to be called to account on Libor scandal
Some US bankers and regulators face criminal investigations with large fines and custodial sentences of up to 14 years - Europe could learn from this – writes Arlene McCarthy MEP
Spain downgraded just after receiving bail-out confirmation
On the day Spain received formal confirmation from eurozone ministers of its €100bn bank bail-out to a backdrop of street protests, the country is downgraded by US ratings agency to just two notches above default
Austeritos - inspiration for austerity born in Ancient Greece
After some archaic research, our secret columnist has unearthed some interesting points made by Austeritos in Ancient Greece. How relevant are his points to today's eurozone crisis? We will let you decide on that
An analysis of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt
Egypt is in the custody of two competing primary actors - the military establishment and the Muslim Brotherhood - neither of which is a natural proponent of liberal democracy, writes Hassan Mneimneh
The unsuitable EU authorisation process for GM
While the authorisation of genetically engineered plants for cultivation seems to be in a deadlock, the authorisation of these crops for import and usage in food and feed is still going on - writes Dr Christoph Then
GM animals coming soon to Europe despite public distaste
Citizens and retailers have no appetite for genetically modified animals and crops, but the European Commission has sided with the biotech industry – argues Mute Schimpf
Today's young people are becoming tomorrow's hackers
Online security is woefully inadequate and the young generation have hacking skills beyond the skill sets of most adults – warns Andy Kemshall
Just where did G4S go wrong on London 2012?
Can businesses afford to continue operating with ineffective document management processes – asks Edward Hamilton
Terrorist attack in Bulgaria could be escalation of 'dirty war'
EU leaders express shock at the suspected terrorist attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria, which resulted in the death of at least seven people and another 30 being injured
Romania should face sanctions for failing on EU norms
It is crucial that threats to democracy in EU member states - whether it is Romania, Hungary or elsewhere - are treated as serious - says Rebecca Harms MEP
The truth about the EU Common Fisheries Policy
Fishermen remain unconcerned about conservation, ministers are focused only on tomorrow's newspaper headline and the cartoon showing them snagged in a net, while scientists are dismissed as unworldly for wanting to reduce the catch size. Our secret columnist casts his net over the different vested interests
UK on the way to balance of payments surplus by 2015
Growing UK exports to the fast growing markets in Asia, Latin America and Africa mean Britain will not be so reliant on EU trade in the future - writes Scott Corfe