EFDbackup: 2015 at 03:43PM

Showing posts with label 2015 at 03:43PM. Show all posts

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Eurosphere agenda: “Montenegro on the path to Nato membership…”Court blocks Catalan independence bill

BBC News | Europe | World Edition

Spain’s Constitutional Court revokes Catalonia’s parliamentary motion that set in motion a process of unilaterally breaking away from the rest of the country.

EU’s new ‘Directive on Terrorism’ aims to criminalise preparatory acts

EurActiv.com

The European Commission adopted on Wednesday (2 December) a package of measures to combat terrorism and arms trafficking, including criminalising travel “for terrorist purposes”.

MAIN FOCUS: Montenegro on the path to Nato membership | 03/12/2015

euro|topics

Nato officially invited Montenegro to join the organisation on Wednesday. Expanding the military alliance at this point in time is a provocation for Moscow, some commentators criticise. Others see the move as an important step towards stabilising the Balkans.

Why did the Telegraph “push out” Britain’s most experienced environmental journalist on the eve of the climate talks?

open Democracy News Analysis – by Adam Ramsay

Environmental commentator Geoffrey Lean annouced he was “pushed out” of the Telegraph two days before COP21. What’s going on at Britain’s biggest broadsheet?

Geoffrey Lean, RTCC, fair use: http://ift.tt/1TzmlyY

When NATO stalls, Putin pounces

EurActiv.com

Dr Liam Fox is a British MP and former secretary of state for defence. Sally A. Painter is on the Board of Directors for the US Committee for NATO Enlargement and COO of Blue Star Strategies, LLC.

MAIN FOCUS: COP21: Voluntary action or binding regulations? | 30/11/2015

euro|topics

The international community is meeting to discuss steps to limit global warming at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. Not all states can commit to binding climate objectives, some commentators stress. Others see an agreement with sanction mechanisms as a chance for politicians to regain the people’s confidence.

COP21: Coal plans to derail 2 degrees

BBC News | Europe | World Edition

Attempts to keep global warming to 2 degrees will be wildly off course if all planned coal fire plants around the world are built.

COP21: a diary from Paris

open Democracy News Analysis – by Angelina Davydova

oDR correspondent Angelina Davydova is in Paris attending COP21, where she’s keeping her eye on the Russian side of things…

Ole Jensen/Demotix

Climate talks: High pressure in Paris

FT.com – Analysis

As fears grow over the outcome of UN talks, the hard work will focus on how to hold nations to their pledges

EXCLUSIVE! Blogger attacks Politico Europe! – a review of Politico’s european operation

Jon Worth

It is now 7 months since the US publication launched its European operation. Enough time to reflect on what does, and does not, work with it. In this blog entry I am going to try to give a fair and balanced view of the publication so far. I have canvassed views on my personal Facebook profile, through Twitter (original tweet here), and some people have emailed me in confidence, and this blog entry draws on that. I have no access to any aspect of Politico PRO (I am too poor to have cash to subscribe), so this covers what is available for free on the Politico Europe website, free by e-mail, and in the printed edition.

Britain’s Labour party launches EU ‘in’ campaign

EurActiv.com

Britain’s opposition Labour Party today (1 December) launched its campaign for the UK to remain in the European Union, focusing on the common security angle by saying that the Paris terror attacks showed the need to “stand shoulder to shoulder” with its European partners.

This is what happens when you poke the Politico Europe wasps’ nest

Jon Worth

Earlier today I blogged about Politico Europe. My blog entry outlined some good points about it, but found failings too, and was the result of many conversations with many respected people over a couple of weeks. One of the points I raised was that Politico does not react well to criticism… so I was then subjected to quite an extraordinary series of attacks on Twitter from three of their journalists – Matthew Kaminski (Editor), Matthew Karnitschnig (Chief Germany Correspondent), and especially Tara Palmeri (Correspondent). I’ve taken screenshots of the relevant tweets and include them here:

kaminski

Explaining POLITICO Europe’s overreaction to Jon Worth’ blog post: an explorative approach

Ideas on Europe by Ronny Patz /

Fellow Euroblogger Jon Worth* this morning published a commentary on Politico Europe, the news outlet I let my European Studies summer school students read every morning this August. What followed needs some serious academic attention, and serious attention is what you are going to get in this blog post.

Having seen Jon blog for years now*, his article was quite a balanced text (he can write stuff that is quite strong and one-sided, believe me). His research exceeded the empirical work some students would invest in a term paper. Yes, the post was opinionated, but if you’ve ever seen the readership statistics for a balanced blog post, you never want to write one again. So don’t blame a blogger for being opinionated.

Paris attacks: The investigation so far

BBC News | Europe | World Edition

What we have learnt so far about investigations in France and Belgium following the attacks in Paris.

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Thursday, November 5, 2015

Eurosphere agenda: “25 years on: How the euro’s architects erred…”UK unveils plan to spy on Internet use…

http://ift.tt/1SrFLFq

25 years on: How the euro’s architects erred

Centre for European Reform

A quarter of a century after the euro’s conception, the flaws in its design have become apparent. EU leaders have fixed some of them but the euro needs better policies in order to be a successful currency.

It is almost 25 years since European finance ministers, meeting in Rome in December 1990, launched an ‘inter-governmental conference’ on Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Their work emerged a year later as the Treaty of Maastricht, which set out a roadmap for creating what became the euro.
At that time I was a journalist in Brussels, interviewing many of those involved in the conception of the euro. Most of them assumed that the euro would encourage trade and investment across frontiers, thereby deepening the single market and boosting competition. They thought that an independent European Central Bank (ECB) would keep inflation and interest rates low, encouraging investment and job creation. They were also convinced that the euro would strengthen the political bonds between the European nations.

UK unveils plan to spy on Internet use, raising privacy fears

EurActiv.com

Across the West, debate about how to protect privacy while helping agencies operate in the digital age has raged since former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden leaked details of mass surveillance by British and U.S. spies in 2013.

Spain’s Socialists try to steer centre with labour reform

EurActiv.com

In doing so, they are will be navigating a tricky course, a fact that Jordi Sevilla, the Socialists’ party’s chief economic advisor and a potential economy minister, acknowledges.

Romanian protests continue, despite Ponta resignation

EurActiv.com

Protests continued through the night in Romania despite the resignation of Prime Minister Victor Ponta, with demands for early elections, and calls for reform of the country’s political system.

Luxleaks and tax avoidance at EU level: Talk less, act more

EurActiv.com

After the Luxleaks scandal, there is still no proper response to the industrial scale tax avoidance the scandal exposed a year ago today, writes Aurore Chardonnet. But a simple vote by finance ministers could change that.

Balkan asylum seekers fear deportation from Germany

AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (IN DEPTH)

In 2015, the number of asylum applicants from the conflict-free region surpassed those from Syria and Afghanistan.

Migrant crisis will decide Merkel’s future

BBC News | Europe | World Edition

But Merkel is the great survivor

MAIN FOCUS: Ponta resigns after protests | 05/11/2015

euro|topics

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta and his cabinet resigned on Wednesday. The move came after thousands of people took to the streets blaming rampant corruption for a deadly fire at a Bucharest nightclub. Democracy is being rekindled in Romania, some commentators write jubilantly. Others argue that the government’s resignation won’t change a thing.

How tens of thousands of Syrians have ‘disappeared’

AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (IN DEPTH)

Report reveals massive scale of systematic state campaign to eliminate dissent through enforced disappearances.

Western Balkans route still preference of most refugees

EurActiv.com

Half a million refugees have already arrived in Greece this year. Tens of thousands are finding their way toward Austria, Germany and Sweden. Hundreds of thousands are still waiting in Turkey and the European governments are trying to use legal means to stem the influx.

EU economy set for ‘modest’ recovery

BBC News | Europe | World Edition

The economic recovery within the European Union and the eurozone should continue at “a modest pace” next year, the EU predicts.

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Thursday, April 23, 2015

Ayşe Özer: “HEPİMİZ MAKARNAYA OY VERİYORUZ

http://ift.tt/1OKksvo

HEPİMİZ MAKARNAYA OY VERİYORUZ

Besin zinciri, canlıların beslenme alışkanlıklarını gösterir bir şemadır. Birçok anlatımda geyikten sonra piramidin en tepesinde aslan yer alır. Aslan, ormanlar kralıdır. Geyikle beslenir. Sonra “aslanım, yürü arkandayız” diye piramidin tepesine geçirilenler alır ormanı aslanın elinden, yerleşir besin zincirinin en tepesine. En az tüketilmesi gereken besin grubu yağ ve şekerlerdir, sağlıklı beslenme piramidinin en tepesinde bulunurlar. Çarklar yağ sıkıntısı çekmediğinden bu kadar kolay ve hızlı dönmektedir oysa ki. Yağ tüketimi had safhadadır. Bir karbonhidrat kaynağı olan makarna, birçok diyetisyenin yasaklar listesinin başındadır. Kan şekerini kolay yükseltir, öğün sonrası hipoglisemisi yaratır bedende. Geçici bir doymuşluk hissidir yaşanan. Çabuk kana karışır ve hızla enerji üretir, sonrası hüsran. Bir öğün sonrası hipoglisemisi hakimdir popülasyonun çoğunluğuna, üzerimize ağırlık çökmüştür. Ondandır her seçim sonrası kendini solda tanımlayan seçmenin makarna-kömür muhabbeti yapması ve dahi koyun resimleriyle süslemesi zaman tünelini. Sadece kurban bayramında et yiyenleri anlayamadığından kurbanlık koyun muamelesi yapar ezilen halkına yurdum solu. Kendisinin Kordon’da restoranda yediği meşede bilmem neli steak fiyatına bir haftalık odun alınıyor, bir tabak fesleğenli tagliatelle fiyatına bir haftalık pazar masrafı çıkıyor ortalama bir ailenin. Ama halkımız çok cahil. Keşke ölse.

Cover of Elias Canetti

Muhalefet kalıcı bir doyum vaat etmeyince, geçici bir doygunluk hissine, yaratılan istikrar havasına oy veriliyor. Seçmen kendine göre rasyonel bir tercih yapıyor. Gıda bankacılığı ile açlıkla terbiye edilmiş bünyelere sosyal hakları olan her şey sosyal yardım olarak bahşediliyor. Bunlardan bahsetmiyor kimseler. Bir torba kömüre, bir paket makarnaya sattılar onurlarını demek kolay geliyor solculuğu kendinden menkul bünyelere. Elias Canetti’nin Körleşme romanındaki Prof. Kien’i gibi kafaları bilgiyle dolu, ancak o kafanın içinde var olabildiği bir dış dünya yok. “Kendini beğenmişliğin komedisi” yeniden yazılabilir bu aynasız çarşıda.

Metroda kitap okuyan genç adamın terliklerine takılmıştır kent soylu genç kız. Kız tavlamak için kitap okumaktadır ona göre bu İztoban kekosu. Kendi dar çevresinde boynundaki fuları ve kalın çerçeveli gözlüklerini kız düşürmek için kullananlara çok sık denk gelmiştir. Dünyayı algılama biçimi kendi mahallesinin sınırlarına takılmaktadır. Köyün en son çitine gidemeyen Ünzile’nin dramına ağlarken o koca gözlüklü kadının koca şarkısında, kendisinin durumunun daha vahim olduğunun farkında değildir. Karın tokluğuna çalışanların ülkesinde, başka bir makarnaya oy verenler, halkı karın tokluğundan dolayı suçlamakla meşgul.

Pesto soslu raviyoli de bir makarna çeşididir oysa ki. Orta ve üst orta sınıf direnmenin tadını Gezi direnişinde biber gazı yemeden önce pesto soslu ravyoli yiyerek mi çıkarmıştır? Çocuklarına ısınsınlar diye saç kurutma makinesini vererek yan odada kendini asan kadının soğukla imtihanı, piramidin en tepesindeki aslanın veya en altta yer alan, üretici olan toprağın mı sorunudur? Hangi yırtıcılar almıştır o kadını o besin zincirinin içine? Krebs döngüsünün hangi aşamasında takılmıştır bu insanların enerji üretimi de, soğuktan donmak üzeredirler? Fizyoloji bir yerlerde alarm vermiştir, metabolizma durmuştur da, bu ülkenin solu, muktedir ağzıyla konuşmayı marifet saymaya başlamıştır. Onurunu, oyunu makarnaya satmakla suçlananlar, karbonhidrat yemeyin diye bas bas bağıran modern dünya diyetisyeninden bihaberdirler. Bu ne cahilliktir kuzum? Tek tipleştirme her alanda yaygınlaşırken, gelenin gideni aratmadığı tek yer Victoria’s Secret defilesidir makarna-kömür solcularına göre. Açlıkla değil, anlayış kıtlığıyla terbiye edilmektedir bünyelerimiz. Yokluk; barınma, ısınma, doyma hakkının yokluğu değil, ezilenin yanındaki solun yokluğudur. Kolaycılık damarlarımıza işlemiş bir kere. Hepimiz makarnaya oy verirken, muktedir yoksulluğumuzu makarnasına sos yapmaktayken, solduyu koyun muhabbetini geyik muhabbetine çeviriyor. En tepedeki aslan, bu geyikle besleniyor. Felek, meydanı boş buluyor da, esas aslanı kediye boğduruyor.

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Friday, February 27, 2015

Neo-Ottoman and Islamist kitsch used by some AKP MP candidates… #TurkeyElections

http://ift.tt/1AgBTvi

Neo-Ottoman kitsch inspirated by Erdoğan’s own performance.

“My reference is Allah” TABLdotTV ‏@TABLdotTV AKP’den #Malatya aday adayı olan [Malatya] #ZerTv YKB #AbuzerAydın, afiş çalısmasına; “Referansım Allahtir” yazdırdı.

Ne Çok Konuştun ‏@DurBirDinlee Dini siyasete alet etmek, temsili değil.

LOCAL – Ottomans enter Turkish elections race, stoking social media

hurriyetdailynews.com – Weeks after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ’16 Turkish warriors’ hit international headlines, several candidates have launched Ottoman-themed campaigns to be nominated for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the upcoming…

How a single Instagram post could end up sending a former Miss Turkey to jail

washingtonpost.com – Peter Holley – Feb 25 – Merve Buyuksarac won Miss Turkey in 2006. Now, just under a decade later, the former model may be jailed for insulting the Turkish president. On Wednesday, Buyuksarac’s lawyer told reporters that an Istanbul prosecutor is attempting to take…

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