The Berlaymont ghost

These days, there is a ghost walking the corridors of the Berlaymont building. People talk about him, give him a name, put a French accent in his voice, as they also put words and comments on his mouth, compare him with the present tenant, and feed the malaise.

The current tenant is the one that fears most this strange ghost. He gets very annoyed when he hears his name, and mad when people draw comparisons. He then asks his advisors to talk to the friendly media hacks. The point is to get a favourable press, to show that the ghost is from another time and circumstances. And that, in any case, when he was real, a few decades ago, he was no better then today's man.

EU money matters

The mainstream media has largely ignored the EU budget discussions. There have been some brief references to the difference of views between the European Parliament and the member states, concerning the rate of growth of 2011 expenditures, as well as a few pieces about the British initiative to cap future allocations. But no detailed comment about the contents of the budget. Notwithstanding the fact that some funding decisions would be politically difficult to justify, if the public scrutiny was properly done.

What explains the media silence?

Shut up, the big boys are cutting the EU budget!

The UK Prime Minister has drafted a letter to state his government's position regarding the EU budgets for the next years. Basically, David Cameron would see the budgetary appropriations that finance the functioning of the European institutions and the solidarity funds being capped at the level of the 2013 budget. Even the inflation figures would not be fully taken into account.

The PM has convinced France and Germany to support his demarche.

One understands budgets are being cut all over Europe, in each member state. Therefore, there is no political excuse to let the EU allocations, in the years to come, to follow a different course. That's the bright side of this initiative. The darker side is that the cuts will take place, if the will of these three governments prevails in Brussels, in the wrong accounts. The Common Agricultural Policy, for instance, which is an archaic compensatory system that benefits above all the French, German and British owners of very large farms,will remain untouched. No reduction, there. On the other side of this story, the cohesion funds, that are supposed to bring poorer European regions closer to the Union's wealth average, will see significant cuts.

Tant pis, as President Sarkozy would say. Only the weaker states need such cohesion mechanisms. Their voice can somehow be ignored.

The euro's value

The principle of a permanent stabilisation mechanism has been approved. The goal, as presented by the European leaders, is to save the euro as a currency. But was the euro under serious threat? Is it the euro as a currency that has been under attack, or something else? Or is it just the market playing with a currency that is overvalued?

Obviously overvalued, particularly if one takes into account the economic situation of some EU countries.

Wouldn't it be better for everyone, including for strong outlooking economies such as Germany, to have a currency that is closer to the value of the dollar?

The wise come at nightfall

Approved at the on-going Council of the Eurpean Union, by the heads of State and government:

"The Member States whose currency is the euro may establish a
stability mechanism to be activated if indispensable to safeguard
the stability of the euro area as a whole. The granting of any
required financial assistance under the mechanism will be made
subject to strict conditionality".

It is full of conditionalities, obviously, but it is an important step ahead in terms of calming the euro markets.

It also shows, it is clear, that the future of the euro was under serious threat. The collapsing might have been closer than what we had thought.

The Brussels big and expensive underground parking

The European institutions have become a parking lot for second hand national politicians. All of them have lost speed in the home country. But some are vintage items that are hard to dispose of. It is good, from time to time, to see their pictures and let them run for a few miles. Others, are just waiting to be sent to the trash machine.

View from home (Lisbon)

Copyright V.Ângelo

Life with a view, a wider view of life.

Fashion, peace and love

Copyright V.Ângelo

Peace and love are back in Sierra Leone, West Africa. And the fashion houses, like this one in Makeni, the headquarters town of the Northern Province, are pretty busy. Creativity is part of building a more democratic and stable society and country.

Sierra Leone and the international community have a major challenge: the fashion of peace needs deeper roots. The dividends of peace are yet to fully marry the democratic dispensation.

The ancient roots

Copyright V. Angelo

One has to respect one´s roots.

The village has been revamped and is now a main tourist attraction. The roots and tradition can also become part of the economy of today.

Sunny winter

Copyright V.Angelo

There is a bit of light during winter as well.

No justification for dark thoughts.