EU Presidency
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Ireland: What is the point of the EU presidency?
2 January 201318222 La Tribune Paris -
EU Presidency: The Little Mermaid
3 January 201253 Le Vif/L’Express Brussels -
European Council: Little Denmark faces high-stakes EU Presidency
2 January 2012836 Politiken Copenhagen -
Press review: Poland’s EU Presidency - no fireworks, no slip-ups
15 December 201139PresseuropRzeczpospolita, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, Gazeta Wyborcza -
Turkey-Cyprus: Ankara starts spat with EU
19 September 20111PresseuropLa Stampa -
EU Presidency: Poland shifts into top gear
4 July 20111041 Respekt Prague -
EU Presidency: Poland at the helm
1 July 2011PresseuropGazeta Wyborcza -
EU Presidency: Ambitious and solidarity-oriented Poland
30 June 20111132 Polityka Warsaw -
Poland: Warsaw prepares for 'impressive' presidency
27 June 20111PresseuropPolska The Times -
EU presidency: DSK and Greece frustrate Warsaw’s plans
17 May 2011PresseuropDziennik Gazeta Prawna -
EU presidency: Poland's logo controversy
11 May 2011281PresseuropRzeczpospolita -
EU presidency: Poland lagging behind with preparations
22 March 2011PresseuropDziennik Gazeta Prawna -
Belgium: There is a life without a government
17 February 20115301 De Standaard Brussels -
Hungary: A country divided
1 February 2011781 Respekt Prague -
Hungary: Viktor Orbán, a latter day Kuruc
1 February 201158 Népszabadság Budapest -
EU Presidency: Frosty reception for Viktor Orbán
20 January 2011PresseuropNépszabadság -
EU Presidency: Play it smart with Hungary
7 January 2011935 The Economist London -
EU Presidency: Will optimism save the euro?
3 January 2011PresseuropFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung -
THE 10 DAYS OF EUROPE | 8: Negotiation rocks
31 December 201075 Presseurop -
Politics: 2011 - the year of Central Europe
15 November 2010Jyllands-Posten Aarhus -
Opinion: Would the EU please wake up, please?
27 August 2010881 La Stampa Turin -
Editorial: A godsend?
2 July 2010Presseurop -
EU Presidency: Belgium sets its sights low
30 June 2010PresseuropPresseurop -
Editorial: Presidency in minor key
26 March 2010Presseurop -
BALKANS: Kosovo, the problem neighbour
17 February 2010201 The Guardian London -
Spain: Zapatero zapped by friends and foes
5 February 2010144 Presseurop -
EU Presidency: Mr Bean goes to Spain
5 January 2010PresseuropABC -
European Union: Madrid faces challenges in Brussels
4 January 2010Presseurop -
Visions of Europe (3): Europe 2034
1 January 201033 Fokus Stockholm -
Editorial: A missed opportunity
21 December 20092Presseurop -
Sweden: Quite an interesting presidency
15 December 2009Dagens Nyheter Stockholm -
European Council: Van Rompuy in cut to the chase shock
11 December 2009PresseuropEl País -
European Union: The push for a capital of Palestine
8 December 200914 Expressen Stockholm -
EU Presidency: Express exposes Van Rompuy as “clown”
19 November 2009PresseuropDaily Express -
STEPHFF, THE NATION (BANGKOK): Habemus Presidentum !
18 November 2009 -
Institutions: A man's man's man's EU
17 November 200921 La Stampa Turin -
EU Presidency: Captain Van Rompuy to the rescue
3 November 2009PresseuropLa Libre Belgique -
Editorial: A Queen for Europe?
30 October 2009Presseurop -
After Lisbon (5): EU presidency: Round 1
29 October 20091 Presseurop -
UNITED KINGDOM: The reluctant leader
27 October 2009The Independent London -
After Lisbon (4): EU top diplomat, a much better job
12 October 2009The Daily Telegraph London -
After Lisbon: No to Europygmies, yes to Euroblair
9 October 2009PresseuropThe Economist -
United Kingdom: Tony Blair, Europe's main man?
24 September 2009PresseuropThe Independent -
EU Presidency: Poland in 2011 to emulate France
23 September 2009PresseuropDziennik Gazeta Prawna -
Editorial: Next stop Copenhagen
11 September 2009Presseurop -
Immigration: Double vision on the immigrant issue
26 August 2009Le Figaro Paris -
Diplomacy: Bad blood between EU and Israel
24 August 20095 Presseurop -
Lisbon Strategy: "Most competitive economy of the world" dashed
18 August 2009PresseuropDziennik Gazeta Prawna -
Enlargement: Spain needs its thinking cap
22 July 2009PresseuropEl País -
EU presidency: Sweden's PM goes cool on climate change
30 June 20091 Fokus Stockholm
On January 1, the Dublin government took over the rotating presidency of the European Union. However, French daily La Tribune argues that economic crisis and a shift in the balance of power in the EU have turned this institution into an empty shell. 
At the height of the debt crisis, a small country, which is not a member of the Eurozone, has taken on the EU’s six monthly rotating presidency. Danish daily Politiken argues that Copenhagen should take advantage of its marginal status in adopting the role of mediator for a community that is tearing itself apart. 
With Poland coming to the end of its six month stint at the helm of the EU rotating presidency, the national press discusses the country’s achievements and failures during the period. 
With its rapidly changing capital, its new motorways and EU subsidised farmers, Poland is creating a new identity for itself, less pro-American and more and more europhile. A report. 
On 1st July, Poland will take on the rotating Presidency of the EU. Warsaw’s leading weekly argues that the country’s successful political and economic transformation should be an inspiration for crisis stricken Europe. 
The Belgians have proven that a country can survive without a government. Even more: a government that only takes care of day-to-day business has its silver lining. Whether the sunshine makes up for the rain is another question. 
The government of Viktor Orbán (Fidesz) has succeeded in consolidating its power, including control over the media, and is preparing to amend the Constitution. Is the sudden set-back to democracy in Hungary just a hiccup, or is it a systemic phenomenon that could spread to other central European states? Respekt reports from Budapest. 
By taking on the rest of Europe, the Hungarian Prime Minister is appealing to his compatriots’ patriot gene, which protests against foreign powers. But this tactic doesn’t work every time, notes the Hungarian daily Népszabadság. 
As Hungary takes the helm of the EU’s rotating presidency, many fear its government is taking an anti-democratic turn. But is there much the European Union can do about it? wonders The Economist. 
The EU's greatest and most beautiful idea? Sitting down at a table for talks that are conducted with tolerance and style, answers Romanian historian Mircea Vasilescu. 
In general, Western Europeans, and the Danes in particular, cling to negative stereotypes of fellow EU citizens fromthe former Eastern bloc. Hungary and Poland, however, at the helm of Europe in 2011 are likelier to make a bigger splash than provincial Denmark when it takes over the EU presidency in 2012. 
The EU is plunging in the polls, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey. The ranks of the disillusioned are swelling not with Eurosceptics, but with Europhile integrationists. Meanwhile, the Commission marks time and Van Rompuy gone AWOL. 
Two years after Kosovo's declaration of independence, the Union is still unable to come up with a coherent policy for the western Balkans. This threatens not only to scupper Serbia’s accession to the EU, but also to destabilise the region itself. 
In the wake of Barack Obama’s decision to give the EU summit miss, José Luis Zapetero’s EU presidency is languishing. If only his problems were confined to the European stage. With the Spanish economy on the rocks, the national press, many with knives out, remarks that the president is going through an unprecedented crisis. 
Spain is steering the ship of the Union for a six-month stint, with its sights set on two goals: finding a remedy for the recession and putting the Lisbon Treaty into effect. But the dailies El País and EL Mundo are divided over the weakened Spanish government’s odds of success in Brussels. 
Swedish essayist Kjell Albin Abrahamsson imagines that in 25 years every European country will be in the EU – except Turkey. Armed with a common energy policy and, at long last, a single voice – the EU will take the helm in international diplomacy. 
Sweden's EU Presidency will mainly be remembered for the final ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, but Fredrik Reinfeldt and his team also made progress on more low-profile technical issues. Dagens Nyheter presents an inventory of the achievements of what it deems to be a globally positive six-month term in office. 
The Swedish EU presidency proposes the 27 member states recognise East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Though fiercely contested by Israel, this move would stop the situation going from bad to worse, opines the Stockholm daily Expressen.
Though women make up the majority of the European population, they are underrepresented in key institutional posts. As the 27 convene to pick the personages to hold the highest offices in the Union, women are demanding action on the parity principle. 
Though the topic will not be on the agenda at the European Council meeting in Brussels starting 29 October, it’s bound to be on everyone’s mind. Who will be the next face of the EU? The voice that answers on that famed “single telephone number” that Henry Kissinger wanted, in vain, for Europe? The European press are placing their bets. 
With Tony Blair and David Miliband as possible candidates for top EU offices, London is aiming for greater involvement in Europe. However, as Mary Dejevsky argues in The Independent, conservative David Cameron may call a halt to this trend before it makes any impact.
With cross the board ratification of the Lisbon treaty imminent, Con Coughlin in the Daily Telegraph points out that even with Tony Blair as first EU president, the role will be largely ceremonial. Real power will be concentrated in the hands of the High Representative for foreign and security policy. 
The recent drowning in the Mediterranean of 73 Eritrean migrants has highlighted the need for a new European immigration policy. In the course of its mandate at the helm of the European Union, Sweden is planning to harmonize national legislation on asylum rights. 
The Israeli prime minister’s visit to Europe tomorrow, the 25th of August, could not be taking place under worse auspices: the Swedish EU presidency is embroiled in a diplomatic crisis with Israel since last week’s publication of an article in the Stockholm daily Aftonbladet accusing Israeli soldiers of killing Palestinians for their organs back in 1992. 
Stockholm aimed to lead the way in making post-Kyoto a priority during its presidency at the head of the Union. But the economic crisis has put paid to such ambitious plans and expectations have been considerebly lowered, writes Anita Kratz. - 1 of 2
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