Well even though today is a holiday in many EU states, there is nothing particulary festive about the atmosphere. All eyes are on the commodity markets to see what is going to happen to oil prices. The consequences of a flawed Iraq play are gradually coming to be recognised, and even the ridiculous demise of [...]

Metin Kaplan, the ‘Caliph of Cologne’, is a Turkish Islamist long resident in Germany. The Turkish government would like to try him for treason. The German government would like to oblige their Turkish friends by extraditing him. The courts, thus far, have stood in the way. It looks as though a final decision may be [...]

Roland Emmerich is the Anti-Tarantino. There is in this notion a Master’s thesis in film theory for somebody, I’m sure of it. But it isn’t going to be me, so I open it up to anyone who want to take the job on. These two men belong to the same generation, and [...]

My old think tank had a discussion about transatlantic issues yesterday, which produced some interesting points:
A member of the German Parliament said that compulsive military service will probably come to an end sooner than outside observers think. A Fistful of Euros, we think it will end pretty soon, and it’s nice to have that view [...]

This wouldn’t be the first time. Now, however, it’s not milk or potatoes that are at issue, but words.
An acute difficulty of excess verbiage has lead Neil kinnock to crack down and order that in future no Commission report should be more than 15 pages long, except in undefined rare circumstances. This compares [...]

I note - probably with more amusement than Michael O’Leary intends - Ryanair’s recent defeat at the European Commission. I’m afraid I have never found it terribly surprising to see so-called entrepreneurs who complain about government distorting the markets do a 180 degree when it comes to their own subsidies, but O’Leary’s recent anti-EC [...]

After Porto’s victory in the European Cup last night, their coach Jose Mourinho has announced he is leaving the club to work in England. He hasn’t said which club he’s joining yet, though.

What else can I say? In the words of The Wall Street Journal Europe:
This Exhibit Is No Featherweight, so You Better Duck.
(via Electrolite)

Am I the only one here that thinks Gerhard Schroeder’s making himself look like a bit of a goon with his condescending lectures to east European countries that they’d better raise their taxes… or else?
Here’s an issue that’s been quietly bubbling for some time, at least here in Prague. Either both sides have raised the [...]

Overseas Republicans claim that their votes were decisive in putting G.W. Bush into the White House. Diana Kerry, one of Senator Kerry’s sisters, drew a lunchtime crowd of more than 100 in Munich today. Not bad for a surrogate during the middle of a work day six months before the election. It’ll be hard to [...]