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A deux mois du scrutin présidentiel, le ministre de l’économie Régis Immongault justifie sa stratégie économique et défend le bilan du président Bongo.

Les 08 juin 2016, le général de brigade aérienne Jean-François Ferlet, chef du Centre de planification et de conduite des opérations (CPCO), s’est rendu auprès des militaires français de la Base aérienne projetée en Jordanie (BAP) dans le cadre de l’opération Chammal.

DT 9/2016 - 17/6/2016
Araceli Mangas Martín
Tras los acuerdos logrados en el Consejo Europeo de febrero de 2016 para el encaje del Reino Unido en la UE,  interesa reflexionar sobre los escenarios internacionales que se abrirían en caso de retirada, sin prescindir de algunos efectos especiales para España (con referencia a Gibraltar).

A közvetlen, környezetkímélő demokrácia világszerte terjedő formájáról, az önellátó közösségekről, alternatív, “harmadik utas” településekről, ökofalvakról beszélgettünk Szakáts István civil aktivistával, az AltArt Alapítvány elnökével  június 16-án, csütörtökön az élő  ZeneTérben. A mindenáron való...

Die Ermordung der britischen Labour-Abgeordneten Jo Cox wird der Brexit-Kampagne den Wind aus den Segeln nehmen, da diese nun mit dem Mörder in Verbindung gebracht würde, betonen Analysten. EurActiv Brüssel berichtet.

Not necessarily bad news? (Illustration: Michel Gaillard)

Not that anyone in Britain cares what the French think. As a matter of fact, even the French themselves don’t care that much. They have other ‘cats to whip’ as they say around here: social unrest, terrorist murders, drunk hooligans. There have been surprisingly little surveys in this normally poll-obsessed country, and while the British polls are quoted and analysed by some media, Le Monde recently simply shrugged their shoulders and drily noted that ‘In France, the Brexit provokes neither debate nor consensus‘. Others, like the financial monthly Capital, summarised the shoulder-shrugging differently: ‘Brexit? Not necessarily bad news!’.

In this context it is interesting to have a closer look at some data tables kindly provided by Céline Bracq and Gaël Sliman from the Odoxa polling institute. A poll they conducted earlier this spring for the daily newspaper Le Parisien highlights that a majority of French citizens would rather like the UK to remain in the European Union. The poll was very quickly and rather superficially quoted upon in the Financial Times, but did not seem to raise any eyebrows on the other side of the Channel. But then again: who cares in Britain what anybody else might think on the continent?

As could be expected, the data on the French attitude towards a potential Brexit reveal more about the French themselves than about the UK’s role in Europe. To no surprise they are deeply split both on UK membership, as they are on most EU matters.

One of the questions simply asked whether the Brexit referendum was ‘an important event for Europe’. It appears that the event is indeed considered important across all age groups (around 65%), but most of all among the over 65 years-old (79%). As for almost all things European, the higher the CSP or the revenues per household, the stronger the concern among respondents. More interestingly, although not too surprising for those who follow French attitudes towards Europe since the 2005 referendum, is the divergence between voters of traditional mainstream parties (they are over 80%, no matter left or right, to consider the event important) and those who find themselves close to the Front national or the extreme left-wing parties, where the scores are significantly lower.

The comparison with other European countries is also of interest. It appears that the French are less opposed to a Brexit than people in Italy, German or Spain (where between 65% and 76% of respondents declared themselves ‘favourable’ to British membership. In France only 54% have this attitude. It also seems that their patience is wearing out: in a similar poll in 2013, 58% of them were displeased with the prospect of a Brexit, today only 42% declare themselves ‘opposed’.

Finally, independently from the Brexit question, the poll also enquired about current attitudes toward the Euro. Bad news for the Front National: 68% of the French seem to be determined to keep the Euro. That’s a score that the ‘Remainers’ in a for the time being hypothetical ‘Frexit’ referendum would hardly achieve. Contradictory? Not in the French mind, it seems.

Albrecht Sonntag, EU-Asia Institute
at ESSCA School of Management.
Follow us on Twitter: @Essca_Eu_Asia

 

 

 

The post Brexit: what does France think? appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Alors qu'elle se rendait à la rencontre de ses administrés dans la ville anglaise de Birstall près de Leeds, la députée travailliste Jo Cox, 41 ans, a été brutalement assassinée par balles et poignardée en pleine rue par un homme qui a rapidement été arrêté par la police. Gravement blessée, l'élue est décédée quelques heures plus tard à l'hôpital de Leeds. Mariée et mère de deux enfants, elle faisait activement campagne pour le maintien du Royaume-Uni dans l'Union européenne, et plusieurs témoignages affirment que son agresseur aurait tenu des propos nationalistes avant de passer à l'acte. Le pays est sous le choc et la campagne du référendum suspendue pour plusieurs jours.

Un peu de nouveau sur les quatre Hercules destinés à l'armée française. Je rappelle que le feu vert US à une FMS date de novembre (voir mon post ici) et que la vente porte sur 4 C-130 pour un montant de 650 millions de dollars (lire ici).

Le Pentagone a diffusé jeudi soir cet avis:
"Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Marietta, Georgia, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $20,431,791 modification (P00579) to previously awarded contract FA8625-11-C-6597 for C-130J long lead items. Contractor will provide long-lead spares and support equipment in preparation for the procurement of four France C-130J aircraft. Work will be performed at Marietta, Georgia, and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2019. This contract is 100 percent foreign military sales for France. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity."

L'avis donne deux infos:
- une rallonge de la facture de 20,4 millions de dollars,
- une livraison avant mai 2019, date qui avait déjà été donnée par des sources françaises. Ainsi, le général de Saint-Quentin a précisé, lors de son audition du 1er juin (lire ici), que "l’arrivée des deux C-130J ravitailleurs en 2019 au sein de la composante transport de l’armée de l’air, conjuguée aux capacités de ravitaillement en vol du Caracal, offrira aux forces spéciales une allonge significative et de nouvelles capacités de pénétration prometteuses".

 

 

Une étude du Haut Comité d’Evaluation de la Condition Militaire 

Serbie : l'autoroute des bonnes affaires pour l'entourage du Premier ministre Vučić
Chemin de fer Belgrade-Budapest : un train chinois à grande vitesse
Sarajevo Business Forum : « nous et les Chinois »
Grèce : Syriza brade ses promesses et le port du Pirée aux Chinois
Serbie : les noces chinoises des aciéries de Smederevo
Bulgarie : Bourgas, bientôt port d'entrée des smartphones et ordinateurs chinois en Europe

/ Les Chinois à l'assaut des Balkans, Radio Slobodna Evropa, Serbie, Economie, Relations internationales

Serbie : l'autoroute des bonnes affaires pour l'entourage du Premier ministre Vučić
Chemin de fer Belgrade-Budapest : un train chinois à grande vitesse
Sarajevo Business Forum : « nous et les Chinois »
Grèce : Syriza brade ses promesses et le port du Pirée aux Chinois
Serbie : les noces chinoises des aciéries de Smederevo
Bulgarie : Bourgas, bientôt port d'entrée des smartphones et ordinateurs chinois en Europe

/ Les Chinois à l'assaut des Balkans, Radio Slobodna Evropa, Serbie, Economie, Relations internationales

Place:           European Convention Centre Luxembourg (ECCL)
Chair(s):      Sharon Dijksma, the Dutch Minister for the Environment 

All times are approximate and subject to change 

+/- 08.30
Arrivals (live streaming) 

+/- 09.25
Doorstep by Minister Dijksma

+/- 10.00 
Beginning of the meeting (roundtable)
Adoption of agenda
Adoption of non-legislative A items

+/- 10.10
Emissions trading system (ETS) (public session)

+/- 11.50
Paris agreement (public session) 

+/- 12.15
Air quality (NEC directive) (public session) 

+/- 13.15
Any other business: emissions by cars and endocrine disruptors 

+/- 15.30
EU action plan for circular economy (public session) 

+/- 16.30
EU action plan against wildlife trafficking (public session) 

+/- 16.55
Any other business 

+/- 18.00
Press conference (live streaming)

“Which debt relief agreement are you talking about?”

If anyone had any doubts that Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, doesn’t think much of the debt relief deal for Greece that was struck last month by the Eurogroup, these should have been firmly laid to rest by her comments at a press conference in Luxembourg on Thursday.

Asked about what she thought of the outcome of euro area finance ministers’ marathon meeting last month on Greece, which reached some tentative agreements on easing Athens’ massive debt burden, Ms Lagarde appeared to question whether it amounted to a meaningful breakthrough at all.

“Which debt relief agreement are you talking about?,” Lagarde said, before smiling conspiratorially. “I think you have my response in my question actually.”

The issue of debt relief has become central to the roll out of the €86bn euro area bailout of Greece that was agreed on by euro area leaders last summer. The IMF has refused to take part in the programme unless relief is granted, and has challenged what it says are over optimistic EU predictions for the recovery of the Greek economy.

Read more

Újabb északír labdarúgó-szurkoló hunyt el a franciaországi Európa-bajnokságon.

Place: European Convention Centre Luxembourg (ECCL)
Chair: Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

All times are approximate and subject to change

from 08.00
Arrivals (live streaming)

+/- 09.20
Doorstep by High Representative Mogherini

+/- 09.30
Beginning of Foreign Affairs Council meeting (roundtable)
Adoption of the agenda
Adoption of A Items 

+/- 09.35
The Arctic
The Sahel
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia  

+/- 13.00
Working lunch on Middle East Peace Process 

+/- 15.00
Visa liberalisation in the context of EU-Georgia relations
AOB

+/- 16:30
Press conference (live streaming)

In the margins of the meeting - EU/Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Council

17.30
Beginning of the meeting (roundtable)

(tbc) 19.30
Press conference (live streaming)

 

It’s a cliché, but time really does fly when you’re having fun. I arrived in Brussels last September, one of nine hopeful (and nervous) undergraduates embarking on a ten-month internship at FleishmanHillard. It’s been a year full of new experiences, big and small – everything from attending COP21 in Paris to getting lost (a little too often) in the corridors of the European Parliament. I’ve worked with some great people and learnt a lot about EU policy, public affairs and what it‘s like to live and work in the heart of the European project, Brussels.

My fellow interns and I are almost at the end of our time in Brussels, but for anyone considering doing a similar internship, here are five insights into the “Brussels Bubble” and EU public affairs to help you on your way.

1. Don’t be shy – Break into the Brussels Bubble. Brussels is a small place and the EU quarter where decisions take place is miniscule. In fact, within the EU sphere everyone knows pretty much everyone. I once heard someone compare the city’s EU quarter to a university campus, which is not far from the truth. To make the most of your time here, both professionally and socially, networking is key. Whether it’s at a work event or over Thursday drinks at ‘Plux’ (Place du Luxembourg), don’t forget your business cards, push past the awkwardness of introducing yourself to a total stranger, and get talking about that latest POLITICO article or whatever is going on in the Bubble at the moment.
2. To tweet or not to tweet? The answer is easy – tweet. Social media like Twitter and LinkedIn are big in Brussels and can be very helpful, especially if you work in communications. They are good sources of information and an easy way to connect with people. So, create a Twitter account and update your LinkedIn profile now because you’re going to need it. Also, think about how you want to present yourself – do you want to keep it personal or profile yourself professionally? Many EU public affairs professionals use their social media platforms to discuss their chosen policy area. Whether or not you do the same, it’s always good to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your digital presence.
3. Stick your neck out. There’s a lot of room for initiative and creativity in EU public affairs. Don’t be afraid to find your niche and voice your ideas. Public affairs professionals in Brussels are an open and dynamic bunch, ready to embrace new ideas (even from newbie interns). Take this opportunity to get the most out of your internship and learn about your strengths and weaknesses in the work place.
4. Embrace your inner nerd. Working in Brussels is a great opportunity to get bogged down in a particular policy area (energy, financial services, food and health etc.) or the intricacies of European politics. It’s a city full of knowledgeable people, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and develop your particular area of interest (even if your friends may tire of hearing you drone on about the Energy Union, the Juncker Plan or the intricacies of the European Parliamentary groups…).
5. Learn by doing. Having studied European politics at university was a great help for me when I started my internship. However, you quickly realise that many of the ins and outs of EU politics are best understood by experiencing them first-hand as well. If you’re an EU geek like me, who loves the academic side of EU studies, an internship is a great way to get practical knowledge to complement your education. Brussels life puts everything you’ve theorised about into perspective. For example, there is nothing like following a legislative dossier for months through the different institutions to really appreciate the dynamics of how the European Commission, Parliament and Council interact with each other. Working in public affairs in particular is a unique experience, in that it gives you a birds-eye view of EU policymaking while allowing you to take an active part in the process yourself. So, make the most of this opportunity and learn by doing!

By: Louise Olander

 

Az európai szocialisták elnöksége számára a vallásszabadság vagy a plurális társadalomba vetett hit alapvető érték. A szocialisták azt várják Fico miniszterelnöktől, hogy megvilágítja és átértékeli az üggyel kapcsolatos álláspontját.

On 16 June, the European Parliament subcommittee on security and defence (SEDE) held an exchange of views on the EU-NATO capability development cooperation with Jorge Domecq, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency, and General Denis Mercier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. The NATO-EU Capability Group was established in May 2003 to address common capability shortfalls and to ensure the coherence and mutual reinforcement of NATO and EU capability development efforts.

Jorge Domecq highlighted in his speech the partnership between the EU and NATO, “Twenty two EU Members are Allies. We need to ensure that the differences in membership do not become more significant than the similarities. There is a need to continue our close dialogue to ensure complementarity of work. Due to our single set of forces, we cannot afford unnecessary duplication – especially in the field of programmes.” Mr Domecq furthermore stressed the significant strategic overlap between the two organisations, especially regarding crisis management, conflict prevention and peacekeeping. However, while complementarity was important, the EU needed sufficient freedom of action in defence. “That is why EU Member States should support initiatives in EDA to support the development of capabilities to face the whole spectrum of challenges we face in the changing security environment, including the protection of EU citizens.”  

General Mercier stressed in his intervention that cooperation between NATO and the EU was "no longer a question of choice, but a question of will", and continued, "I believe we have no other choice but to leverage the competencies of each organisation and make the most of limited resources." Regarding cooperation with the EDA, General Mercier noted that closer collaboration could bring tangible proposals: "I can assure you that ACT and EDA have already started working together and intend to deliver practical areas of cooperation in the coming months." General Mercier concluded his intervention considering "The collaboration of our two entities could also help synchronise national innovation efforts, including those developed in the United States, in order to keep the highest level of interoperability in the future."

 

More information:

• SEDE website
• EDA CE Intervention to SEDE - 16 June 2016

Le président de l’Assemblée nationale ivoirienne revient sur sa possible marginalisation par le président Ouattara, le mandat d’amener français et ses ambitions politiques.