Articles
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Diplomacy: Stupidity and stinginess in Mali
14 March 201317970 Le Monde Paris -
European Parliament: Change looms ahead of 2014
14 March 201312636 Hufvudstadsbladet Helsinki -
European Parliament: A loaded chamber
13 March 201312316 Financial Times London -
Czech Republic: A playground for ‘hacktivists’
13 March 2013714 Respekt Prague -
Hungary: The opposition struggles in vain
12 March 2013342 Magyar Nemzet Budapest -
Emigration: On the road to Mozambique
12 March 20133911 Jornal de Negócios Lisbon -
Debate: Europe has lost its citizens
11 March 201380698 El País Madrid -
Turkey: Accession impossible
11 March 201318936 Cumhuriyet Istanbul -
Banks: Bonuses too big to prevail
8 March 2013103536 The Guardian London -
Estonia: After the e-government, here come the e-citizens
8 March 20132064 Eesti Päevaleht Tallinn -
Czech Republic: Farewell to Europe’s troublemaker Václav Klaus
7 March 20139417 Hospodářské Noviny Prague -
Romania: The EU must stop stepping on our toes
7 March 201314171 Jurnalul Naţional Bucharest -
Bulgaria: Dying for political change
6 March 20131451 Vesti.bg Sofia -
Debate: We, the lost European people
6 March 2013588215 The New York Times New York -
Portugal: The social earthquake rumbles ever louder
5 March 20134231 Expresso Lisbon -
Spain: Is the Grillo bug catching?
5 March 201317319 El País Madrid -
Debate: Grillo’s twist on European populism
4 March 201322417 De Morgen Brussels -
Slovenia: Alenka Bratušek has her work cut out
4 March 2013562 Dnevnik Ljubljana -
Agriculture: EU abuzz over missing bees
1 March 201383020 De Standaard Brussels -
Austria: Old dog teaching new political tricks
1 March 20136248 Süddeutsche Zeitung Munich -
Democracy: States, markets and citizens on collision course
28 February 201320775 I Kathimerini Athens -
Diplomacy: European small is beautiful
28 February 20131325 EUobserver.com Brussels -
Italy: Merkel’s Europe hits the skids in Rome
27 February 2013226228 Il Sole-24 Ore Milan -
Food: Romania struggles to swallow horsemeat scandal
27 February 201319446 Revista 22 Bucharest -
Italy: And the winner is... Beppe Grillo
26 February 2013272112 La Stampa Turin -
United Kingdom: A-A-Another one bites the dust
25 February 20135316 The Times London -
Cyprus: Now is the time for action
25 February 201322 O Phileleftheros Nicosia -
The Netherlands: Gas is not a gift
25 February 20131703 Trouw Amsterdam -
Internet: Selling spyware to trap dissidents
22 February 20134219 Süddeutsche Zeitung Munich -
Italy: Catholics: a crucial but undecided electorate
22 February 2013893 Libération Paris -
Bulgaria: Borisov may still have the last word
21 February 201359 Standart Sofia -
Italy: Failing the invisible generation
21 February 201346548 Corriere della Sera Milan -
Spain: Economic doldrums and political crisis
20 February 201322925 El Periódico de Catalunya Barcelona -
Climate change: Tough climate for carbon trading
20 February 2013741 Süddeutsche Zeitung Munich -
Article: On the road to the euro
20 February 20139614 IQ The Economist Vilnius -
Romania: ‘Self-flagellation cinema’ rakes it in
19 February 2013137 Adevărul Bucharest -
Estonia: Free travel is no paradise
19 February 201327112 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius -
Italy: Beppe Grillo: The Europhobe comet
18 February 201333857 Linkiesta Milan -
Cyprus: At the bottom of the sea
18 February 2013505 ABC Madrid -
Eurozone crisis: The great Portuguese sell-off
18 February 201370671 Le Temps Geneva -
Kosovo: Europe and the challenge of state-building
15 February 201319050 Le Monde Paris -
Germany: In the land of the well-behaved
15 February 201336559 Der Spiegel Hamburg -
Food: Perils of supermarket cost-cutting machines
14 February 201345016 Financial Times London -
Romania: Banners of discord
14 February 201310010 România libera Bucharest -
USA-Europe: Why the EU should not get into bed with the US over trade
13 February 2013358136 Welt am Sonntag Berlin -
Food: Horsemeat scam is a European problem
13 February 201325625 NRC Handelsblad Amsterdam -
Immigration: It’s cool to be Polish
12 February 2013218845 Rzeczpospolita Warsaw -
EU-Africa: Europe is disappearing from Africa
12 February 201327822 NRC Handelsblad Amsterdam -
EU budget: The European Union has been paralysed
11 February 2013260124 Les Echos Paris -
Bulgaria-United Kingdom: Dear Ralitsa, I do not hate your country
11 February 201315540 Presseurop
Despite what its European partners say in public, France is alone in fighting the armed Islamists and helping rebuild the Malian state. The EU's inability to agree on major global issues will cost it dearly one day, argues Le Monde. 
The European elections slated for 2014 will be a departure from the past procedure, and that has awoken high hopes among the public. The most crucial aspiration among Europe's citizens is the fostering of a true trans-national debate. 
The EU parliament’s capping of bank bonuses shows it has matured as a political force. 
The Czech Republic was targeted in a string of cyber attacks last week. Why? As a small country with a relatively developed Internet infrastructure, it is an ideal testing ground for hackers who are planning to hunt for bigger prey, says an Internet expert. 
The Hungarian parliament's reform of the country's constitution was decried by the opposition and sparked controversy within the EU. However, for one pro-government newspaper, the protests were nothing more than a rear-guard action by an opposition without legitimacy. 
Settling in Mozambique is increasingly attractive to a growing number of Portuguese who are suffering from the crisis. Less threatening than Angola, Mozambique has raised expectations among a people confused by events – even if some of them are coming back empty-handed. 
The latest Eurobarometer figures are showing clearly what the election results have been hinting at one by one: hit by the crisis, Europeans have lost their confidence in the EU. After having saved the euro, we must rescue the legitimacy of the EU – and before the 2014 elections. 
Although a member of numerous regional and international organisations, Turkey is still not in the EU, despite negotiations dating back some 50 years. A columnist wonders if the the country has missed its chance to become anything more than an auxiliary to US foreign policy in the Middle East. 
After the whopping bailouts to Europe’s banks failed to trigger growth, a new zeitgeist is sweeping the continent. The tide has turned against corporate excess. The public wants revenge and the bankers have only themselves to blame, writes a British columnist. 
After Estonia's efforts to push its government administration online, the country now plans to assign a digital identity to all its citizens. The goal? To help cement ties with business talent – both Estonians abroad and foreign expatriates with links to the east European nation. 
The end of the Czech president’s mandate on March 7 marks the departure from the European stage of a controversial figure and high-profile Eurosceptic. But behind his provocations, lay a lack of political vision. 
Germany has announced that it will veto the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen Area. Perhaps it is time for Romanians to stop being the victims of their partners' political games, writes a Romanian journalist in a leader article. 
A day of mourning has been called for March 6 in memory of Plamen Goranov, a young man who set himself on fire in Varna to demand the resignation of the city's mayor. Coming in the midst of a full-blown national political crisis, this gesture should lead to an awakening of consciousness, writes an influential political columnist. 
More Europe could help our continent out of the crisis, but we would still have to create the Europeans. We must encourage education, cultural exchanges and political initiatives to recover the sense of common destiny that we lost last century, argues a French journalist. 
More than a million people of all ages took to the streets of Portugal on March 2 to demand an end to austerity. The growing discontent could bring down the political system that has been in place since the fall of the dictatorship. 
Economic crisis, youth exclusion, discredited political parties: The situation which triggered the success of the Italian Five Star Movement could produce the same effect in southern Europe’s other countries, warns a Spanish sociologist. 
The big winner in the Italian elections, Beppe Grillo, is often described as populist. But in Europe, this political category is somewhat blurred, covering quite a cross-section of movements, argues a Belgian historian. 
In taking over from the minority government of Janez Janša, who was booed in the street and ultimately ousted by the coalition, the new leader of the centre-left has a chance to tame the political crisis facing Slovenia. Unfortunately, a catastrophic economic situation awaits her. 
A category of insecticides, widely used throughout the agricultural sector, may be responsible for Europe’s high level of bee mortality. The European Commission wants to ban their use, but manufacturers are throwing a spanner in the works. 
Austrian billionaire octogenarian Frank Stronach made a sensational debut into politics nine months ago by founding his own party. In the March 3 regional elections, the conservative Eurosceptic is counting on reaping the benefits of the corruption scandals shaking traditional parties. 
The uncertain outcome of the Italian elections and the success of Beppe Grillo have again demonstrated the undercurrents agitating Europe’s crisis-stricken countries. Will the EU, or even more crucially the markets, now make a gesture to break the vicious circle of crisis and citizens’ defiance? 
From Germany’s austerity drive to the UK’s planned referendum on EU membership, it is always the big states that get the headlines in EU policy making. But the smaller states are increasingly punching above their weight on the world stage. 
The voters rejected the tutelage of Mario Monti and Angela Merkel, sabotaging the Chancellor's strategy of postponing the euro crisis until after Germany's September elections. To avoid a complete disintegration of the European consensus, the integration process must get back on track now. 
Romania, wrongly named as the source of the horsemeat food fraud, has suffered more than most in the ready-meals scandal. Having been dealt a severe blow, the country’s agriculture industry now has to pick up the pieces and regain Europe's trust. 
By bringing together the many Italians disillusioned by old-style politics, former comedian Beppe Grillo has robbed the coalition of the left, under Pier Luigi Bersani, of what was looking like certain victory. Italy will now have to reckon with a new player who is as indispensable as he is unpredictable. 
On February 22, the UK became the latest European nation to lose its platinum AAA credit worthiness status when rating agency Moody’s downgraded the country to Aa1. It’s an embarrassment to PM David Cameron, but not a shock to the markets, notes The Times, which encourages the government to continue the austerity policy. 
Voted in by a clear majority on February 24, the new Cypriot president, conservative Nikos Anastasiades, faces the main task of restoring the island’s economic fortunes. And he has no time to lose, warns O Phileleftheros. 
Natural gas deposits, exploited in the northern Netherlands, provide billions of euros to the Dutch state. But the extraction is the cause of an increasing number of earthquakes and this, combined with a lack of long-term investment, has made energy policy a focus of debate. 
He’s regarded as one of the meanest Germans in the cybersphere: Martin Münch supplies police and secret services with spyware, which some dictators use to terrorize dissidents. 
As the most populated and wealthy region in the country, Lombardy will play a key role in determining the outcome of the Italian legislative elections scheduled for February 24 and 25. However, troubled by the lack of ethics among politicians, the region's all-important Catholic vote is more undecided than ever. 
On February 20, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's announcement that he is resigning caught everyone by surprise. Writing in "Standart", Bulgarian journalist Martin Karbovski ponders four possible outcomes for the country given the new political landscape. 
Never have the under-30s had to face such precarity, while at the same time, disregard for their generation has reached an all-time high in the current election campaign. 
The prime minister's annual state of the nation speech on February 20, coincides with one of the country's worst economic, social and institutional crises, which has left no one unscathed. Rotten with corruption, the political system is threatening to implode, putting an end to Spanish democracy. 
To cope with the decline in the price of CO2 emission permits, the European Parliament wants to take 900 million tonnes off the European market. But that won’t be enough to halt the trend. The economic crisis is just too deep. 
On January 1, 2014, Latvia will become the 18th country in Europe to use the single currency. It is a decision most Latvians would not have made, and it comes with significant risks. 
After Cannes, it was the turn of the Berlin Film Festival to honour a film from the Romanian New Wave, from a generation of filmmakers who have been ignored, and from a country without cinemas. Like “Beyond the Hills” by Cristian Mungiu, “Child's Pose” by Călin Peter Netzer expresses the “suffering and despair of Romanian life,” says a sociologist. 
On January 1, some residents of Tallinn saw one of their dreams come true, when they were granted the right to use public transport for free. However, not everyone is happy with the measure. For some, it appears to be a rushed move designed to win favour with voters ahead of autumn local elections. 
Just a few days ahead of the February 24 and 25 elections, the Italian media are ignoring the success of the former comic and self-declared populist. However, according to the polls, Grillo and Berlusconi could give rise to an unprecedented coalition of anti-Europeans. 
Sailing through the first round of the presidential elections on February 17, Conservative Nikos Anastasiadis is well placed to take over from Communist Dimitri Christofias. His main aim? To negotiate a tricky rescue plan to avoid the island being dragged down by the collapse of its banks. 
European leaders are counting on Portugal to set an example of how austerity can succeed when it is applied seriously. Sadly, despite a unprecedented tightening of the screw, Lisbon is still being forced to sell off its “crown jewels” to halt its spiralling debts. 
On February 17, Kosovo will celebrate five years of independence. However, corruption among local political elites has yet to be eradicated at a time when the mandate for the European civil mission to the the former Serbian province has less than 18 months left to run. Questions are now are being asked about the reality of the rule of law in Pristina. 
Minor stumbles can lead to big falls in Germany. Ministers are tumbling like lemmings over scandals around plagiarised theses and invitations to travel abroad. What gets the Germans so worked up? 
The switching of horsemeat for beef is a spectacular signal that a limit has been reached, says columnist John Gapper. 
Romanian leaders never miss an opportunity to annoy the Székelys, Romania’s Hungarian minority. The “war over flags” which has recently been waged by the central government and a number of Transylvanian regional municipalities is only the latest episode in Bucharest’s campaign to create tensions with the Hungarians. 
A US-European free trade zone is on the agenda. There are at least four good reasons for Europe to stay away from it, writes the liberal Die Welt. 
The horsemeat scandal has taken on European proportions. While European countries seek to blame each other, they are ignoring the underlying problem, which is that the economic crisis has meant that low income families are increasingly dependent on cheap meat. 
People have grown used to thinking of Poland as a country of emigrants — just ask the British, the Irish or the Germans. Yet more and more foreigners are now applying for Polish citizenship. Warsaw’s Rzeczpospolita daily reports.
The West, and particularly European countries, are slowly being driven out of Africa by emerging economies, with China at the forefront. A Dutch journalist argues that if Europe still wants to play any role at all, it should cast aside its paternalism and fear of neocolonialism. 
A EU without a vision of the future, turned in on itself, divided, deaf and blind to the world it lives in: this is the face of Europe emerging in the wake of the “impoverished” budget agreement hammered out by the 27 on February 8.
Amid controversy about a possible “influx” of Eastern European workers, a young Bulgarian woman named Ralitsa wrote an open letter to British Eurosceptic leader Nigel Farage that was widely reproduced in the Bulgarian press. Here is the MEP’s reply.