Chris Gilson and Stuart A Brown take a look at the week in Brussels blogging

Brown, Stuart A.

Gilson, Chris

English

LSE Research Online

blo gs.lse.ac.ukhttp://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2012/11/23/brussels-blog-round-up-for-17-23-november-budget-troubles-france-is-downgraded-and-are-european-young-farmers-facing-extinction/Ang e la Me rke l, Mariano  Rajo y, Franco is Ho lland  and  Mario  Mo nti Cre d it: Mariano  Rajo yBre y (Cre ative  Co mmo ns BY NC ND)Brussels blog round up for 17– 23 November: Budgettroubles, France is downgraded, and are European youngfarmers facing extinction?by Blog AdminChris Gilson and Stuart A Brown  take a look at the week in Brussels blogging.The EU centreThis week saw the summit to decide on the EU’s budget f or 2014-2020. On Monday, Open Europe had agood roundup of  what the dif f erent countries want out of  the budget, and who is likely to veto it. OnWednesday, Lost in EUrope was pessimistic about the summit’s outcome. There is much discussionabout Britain’s role in the budget negotiations; Open Europe says that the UK is “not about to getcompletely stuf f ed in Europe”. Meanwhile Coulisses de Bruxelles is worried that the EuropeanCommission has all but absented itself  f rom the budget debate. Finally today, Open Europe discusseswhat it identif ies as a ‘leaked version’ of  President of  the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy’s,latest proposed budget.Bruegel has a detailed report on the wider implications of  the budget, arguing that the f ocus on theoverall size of  the budget is misguided and much less important than how the budget is spent. Jon Worth,in a similar vein, takes a quick look at spending on the Common Agricultural Policy, and the CommonAgricultural Policy blog wonders if  European young f armers may become extinct.The European Citizen looks atthe polit ics of  appointing TonioBorg as a new EuropeanCommissioner. Many in theEuropean Parliament disagreewith his views on divorce andabortion. ACELG at Blogactiv.eulooks at the circumstancesbehind the resignation of  hispredecessor, John Dalli, sayingthat it “could constitute the plotof  an institutional thriller”. On amore general level, DimiterToshkov argues that while theCommission may be good atbureaucracy, it is inef f ective asa polit ical actor and suf f ersf rom an inability to inf luence public opinion.Public Affairs 2.0  has an interesting solution to Europe’s f ishing woes, while Brian Gardner at Blogactiv.eulooks at the European Commission’s proposals to cut back on the biof uels section of  its renewableenergy policy.EU Foreign policy and the European neighbourhoodOver the weekend, LostinEU accuses the Nobel Prize winning EU of  being silent over the escalatingconf lict between Gaza and Israel.Reuniting Europe at Blogactiv.eu says that in the af termath of  its elections, Ukraine would like to sendthe message to the EU that it has ‘passed the test’, and would like to pursue closer relations by holdingan EU-Ukraine summit.Karpfenteich previews German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Russia this week, saying that she willnot encounter the same protests as when she visits EU countries. Meanwhile, Matiyeshyn on Europe atBlogactiv.eu looks at the recent gas pipe agreement between Russia and Bulgaria.The Euro CrisisLost in EUrope looks at the dispute between the EU and the IMF on the restructuring of  Greece’s debt,saying that the emergency loans will not likely eventuate until the end of  November. Open Europe saysthat the planned two year extension to Greece’s bailout (when it does eventuate) could end up costingan extra €32.6 billion. Meanwhile, Dimitris Rapidis at Blogactiv.eu reports that over 2.3million Greeks nowlive below the poverty threshold, at a t ime where social welf are has become almost completely non-existent.Rhein on Energy and Climate at Blogactiv.eu says that the EU should look to Switzerland f or lessons ineconomic policy – small government and decentralised polit ical responsibility.Revolting Europe says that there is lit t le benef it to the recent round of  privatizations in Southern Europe– except f or ‘corporations and f at cats’.Across EuropeOpen Europe marks the end of  the ‘Monti paradox’, saying that now, most Italians no longer want the asecond term f or Italy’s Prime Minister. Meanwhile, Nucleus at Blogactiv.eu looks at how austerity isworking a year into Monti’s premiership.Craig Willy has a comprehensive rebuttal of  the Economist’s recent crit ique of  the French economy,though France still lost its AAA rating  f rom Moody’s (to AA1) as reported by Lost in EUrope this week.Perhaps it is something to do with France’s growth projections being revised downwards as the OFCEblog discusses. In terms of  French polit ics, the biggest development this week was the disputedleadership contest in the opposition UMP party. The Economist has an assessment of  what it states wasan ‘unbelievably messy process’, which ult imately saw Jean-François Copé emerge as the winner over hisrival François Fillon by only 98 votes.Nada es Gratis looks at Spanish labour ref orms aimed at reducing the number of  workers on temporarycontracts. Meanwhile, Revolting Europe says that Spain’s ‘precariat’ has swollen to nearly 21 million as aresult of  the crisis, and European Ideas says that investing in higher education may be key to recoveringprosperity in Spain. Lost in EUrope says that Spain is increasingly looking towards Latin America f orinvestment to help it during the economic crisis.On her blog, Corina Cretu says that the opposition PDL party in Romania has serious problemsunderstanding democracy given their view that having a parliamentary session on Romania’s posit ion onthe European Council meeting would be a ‘waste of  t ime’.The Brit ish Labour MEP, Mary Honeyball reports on Ed Miliband’s speech to the Conf ederation of  Brit ishIndustry which made it clear that the UK’s f uture lies with Europe. The European Council on ForeignRelations says that the UK’s main value in Europe is geopolit ical.Beyond the Transition reports that an Anders Breivik-style terror attack on the Polish parliament has beenf oiled by Polish Internal Security. Finally Europe & Me voice their opinion on abortion laws.Image of the weekOpen Europe takes a lighter look at the EU budget by drawing up a ‘team of  the week’ of  f igures whohave threatened to use their veto during negotiations:And finally…What has President of  the European Council, Herman van Rompuy been up to? This week he met withthe President of  Haiti, Michel Martelly.Jon Worth blogs that Schengen is a myth, while Euromove at Blogactiv.eu address another ‘myth’ bylooking at the claim that the EU is banning the reuse of  jam jars._________________________________Note:  This article gives the views of the author, and not the position of EUROPP – European Politics andPolicy, nor of the London School of Economics.Shortened URL for this post: http://bit .ly/R5re6Y  Related posts:1. Brussels blog round up f or 10– 16 November: More delays f or Greece’s bailout, strikes acrossEurope, and will France be the next victim of  austerity polit ics? (19.1)2. Brussels blog round up f or 3 – 9 November: UK pushes f or EU budget cut, nearly 5 millionunemployed in Spain, and will Obama bring EU & US closer together? (19.9)3. Brussels blog round up f or 27 October – 2 November – def eat f or UK government over EU budget,populism vs. technocracy, and would independence help or hurt Catalonia’s economy? (19.3)

Brussels blog round up for 17– 23 November: Budget troubles, France is downgraded, and are European young farmers facing extinction?

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