Emmanuel Macron nous démontre qu’entre les excès d’un populisme dangereux et d’un socialisme décadent, il n’y a plus rien. La France risque de sombrer dans son propre désarroi. Les Français adorent le chaos, se plaindre de tout et… Continue Reading
The French just love chaos, adore complaining about everything and have a passion for taking to the streets. The latest movement of discontent targetted at Emmanuel Macron, the “gilets jaunes,” (yellow vests) is no exception to this French pastime. During my… Continue Reading
Dutch politics is currently preparing itself for a war of words concerning the ruling coalition’s proposals to scrap Dutch dividend tax. Under present rules, companies have to pay 15% tax over profits that are distributed to shareholders. This sum is… Continue Reading
In the Russian town of Ekaterinburg, 14 households are currently cut off from the gas supplies for a month during the FIFA 2018 World Cup. The official reason, given by the authorities, is that the high-pressure gas supply is considered… Continue Reading
There’s good news, and bad news, coming from Rome. The good news is that Italian coalition governments don’t last that long. Since WWII, there have been 19 general elections, but more than 60 different governments. The chances are, then, that… Continue Reading
There is another culture that the French are proud of, besides the “cultural exception” represented by their language, in the face of Anglo-Saxon dominance. It is the right for you to strike, regardless of whether your actions will close schools,… Continue Reading
photograph © Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons) The latest OECD report, focussing on the work-leisure balance – so important in stopping each one of us from giving up on life – puts the Dutch at the top of… Continue Reading
Jean Monnet, one of the fathers of the Union, had a vision of a unified Europe, probably a federal one. For Monnet, Europe was an ongoing process, a “work in progress”, aiming to create the best possible future for our… Continue Reading
During her recent visit to China, Theresa May has trampled on EU citizens’ rights, as well as evading the question of human rights in China. She has hardly the time to recover from jet-lag, before playing host to Saudi crown… Continue Reading
Whereas 23rd June 2016 will be remembered as one of the blackest days of our lives, as EU citizens in the UK and Brits in the EU, the announcement of a last-minute agreement “securing” citizens’ rights, will probably rank as… Continue Reading