categories
- Africa
- Business
- Catholic Church
- climate change
- democracy
- demography
- environment protection
- EUROPE
- EUROPEAN UNION
- European Union Neighborhood
- Finance
- Focus
- investissements
- Islam
- relations commerciales
- Uncategorized
- USA
Categories
- Africa
- Balkan countries
- Business
- Catholic Church
- Catholic views on immigration
- China
- climate change
- democracy
- demography
- diplomacy
- environment protection
- EUROPE
- Europe's relations with other continents
- EUROPEAN UNION
- European Union enlargement
- European Union Neighborhood
- Finance
- Focus
- France
- immigration
- Immigration into Europe
- immigration into the United States of America
- Indonesia – Java
- investissements
- Islam
- Islam in Europe
- Islam, its developments worldwide
- Migration issues
- Nederland
- philosophy
- relations commerciales
- Turkey
- Turkey's campaign for EU accession
- Uncategorized
- USA
Archives
meta
Category Archives: democracy
HELP FOR REFUGEES, YES ! BUT NO RESTART OF “TURKISH ACCESSION” TALKS
Europe has to help Turkey with the problem of immigration flows to that country.But never should Europe’s political leaders vtake up again the Turkish request, rather vdeman for mebership in the European Union. It never was an objective with any benefit to Europe. Strength of our continent is not in space and numbers but in cpohesion and unity. Withv Turkey we ardently wish to work together on projects in Europe and in Asia, for instance the Silk Road and other ideas The auythor was Counsellor in the netherlands Embassy in Ankara, and later Ambassador in China ,and yet later with teh OECD. Immigration is a topic to be handles with care, and respect to both sides: the migrants and preservation of Europe’s own vculture and identity Continue reading
France as Europe’s defence arm
the European and American approach to problems in and around Urakine in the last one-and-a-half year, has been very wrong. Now that the french president went with Angela Merkel to Kiev and Moscow, his idea that France could take greater role in Europe’s defence system would be a good idea, not only for the Ukrainian quesiton but also for urgent action needed by Europe in Africa Continue reading
Posted in Africa, China, democracy, diplomacy, EUROPE, Europe's relations with other continents, EUROPEAN UNION, European Union enlargement, European Union Neighborhood, France, immigration, Immigration into Europe, Turkey's campaign for EU accession, USA
Tagged defence, Lampedusa, Libya, President Hollande
Leave a comment
UKRAINE 2 = Don’t make (half) promises on enlargement. Better possibilities for neighborhood action.
During the Kiev demonstrations too often European representatives expressed half promises for Ukraines accession to the Union. Such wild promises shoudl – as the Turkish exemple has taught us – be avoided . This attitude is sometimes seen as too formal, and not reflecting the struggles existing between the Quadrangle: Washington, Moscow,Brussels,Kiev.
For useful European Neighborhood -action we would favor other fields of action: accompanying Serbia to EU membership, safeguarding the Serbian position in Kosovo, finding ways with African nations to make Lampedusa unneccesary , and helping Syrian refugees temporarily and in returning to Syria. Bishops may invite laity to the Gospel, but competent laity may equally invite the bishops to geopolitics. There is work for both in realism and mutual respect. Continue reading
Posted in Africa, Balkan countries, Catholic Church, democracy, diplomacy, Europe's relations with other continents, European Union enlargement, European Union Neighborhood, France, immigration, Immigration into Europe, Islam, its developments worldwide, Turkey, Turkey's campaign for EU accession, Uncategorized, USA
Leave a comment
THE EURO …….AN OWNERS’ MANUAL WAS LACKING
In the present discussions on the Euro troubles there is little willingness to analyze the causes.Brussels admonishes us to go only “forward ! ” .What was missing in the introduction of the Euroo was an “OWNERS MANUAL” with sufficient warnings to Greek pension funds and banks, to european banks.Lacking was also oversight which could have been contracted out to the IMF (if it could not yet be handled by the EU itself).Several suggestions are made, and at the end even a plea for more Direct Democracy, since representational democracy (via parliaments) had been sleeping.. Continue reading
Posted in Business, democracy, EUROPE, EUROPEAN UNION, Finance
Tagged debt, Euro, Greece, Italy, Minister Zalm, Tradition-Famille-Propriete
Leave a comment
newsletter 7 june 2011 VOICES OF EUROPE
Peking 7 june 2011 Dear Friends Here is a new article in “VOICES OF EUROPE” “THE WISDOM OF A STEP BACK ON SCHENGEN AND THE REST” https://voicesofeurope.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/the-wisdom-of-a-step-back-on-schengen-and-the-rest/ We argue that giving up something on the “Schengen Agreement” is not a … Continue reading
THE WISDOM OF A STEP BACK …on Schengen and the rest.
The Arab turmloil and a flux of refugees cause revision of the Schengen rules onfree travel in Europe. A step backward is not betrayal or shameful.Any living organism has to adapt to change. More steps back may be useful in various domains: -the Eurozone membership, – the Greek bond restructuring, bad manners of our EU leaders (like Juncker and Viviane Reding), the Turkish candidature process, our present unique depenance oin represnetational democracy needs the help of direct democracy. Europe may get help from new stylemasters. Continue reading
Thailand and “The Economist” on Democracy
“The Economist” already for years takes the part of Prime Minister Thaksin since he has the electoral majority: 51% must be right. But that is not a true criterium of democracy. It also depend how you got those 51%. The lessons concerning Thailand may have importance for Europe’s future. Continue reading
voices-of-europe 