EU politics
DW: Europe is testing a “sound cannon” to be used against refugees.
Where is this going to end?
EU politics
Corruption
Corporate Europe Observatory: Big Pharma’s lobbying firepower in Brussels: at least €36 million a year (and likely far more)
Big Pharma is currently waging a fierce lobbying battle to protect its monopoly patent rights for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. While Corporate Europe Observatory broadly outlines the sector’s lobby spending, this is likely to be […]
Corruption
Patrick Cockburn – From the Somme to COVID, the Deadly Toll of Bad Leadership
A similar tale could be told of most European nations and many worldwide Patrick Cockburn is the author of War in the Age of Trump (Verso) Cross-posted from Counterpunch National Covid Memorial Wall. Photograph Source: […]
EU politics
Tax Justice Network – EU shot at tax transparency rattles multinationals’ woodwork but fails to score
Once again just an incremental step by the EU. We are still far from tax justice. The Tax Justice Network is an independent international network whose core mission is to ‘change the weather’ on a […]
Corruption
AP – Leftist-green candidate elected mayor of Croatia’s capital
We shall see how long a leftist politician with integrity holds out in a corrupt EU nation. Read here
Corruption
Politico – Sebastian Kurz (and his mom) battle Austria’s judiciary
Attacks by chancellor and allies against corruption probe threaten rule of law, critics warn. However any attack on corruption is an attack on the EU political class. Read here
EU politics
Albert Noguera – Spain: Two taboos that prevent the fight against the far-right Vox
Courageous legislative measures against the far-right cannot be adopted unless two of the great taboos of Spanish political culture are first broken. Albert Noguera is Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Valencia. He […]
Climate Crisis
Wolfgang Knorr: Trickery in Climate Neutrality – How Net Zero is Secretly Being Redefined
The crux is that corporations and governments will leave out no tricks and lies to give the impression that we are well on our way to halting climate change, while doing too little or nothing. […]
Economics
Bill Mitchell – ECB realises it has to keep funding Member State deficits for the foreseeable future
Without this massive funding of Member State by the ECB deficits (which are too low to be sure), many Member States would become insolvent fairly quickly – Italy would be first in the queue. Read […]
EU politics
Politico – Switzerland ends talks on EU partnership treaty
The EU has learnt nothing from Brexit. There are some Europeans who value democracy. Read here