I was recently featured by a blogger who writes about Catalan independence. The blogpost can be read here.
In an era of cheap aviation, putting tariffs on new planes is a bad idea
Last week, the US Department of Commerce released a statement in which it announced new tariffs on Canadian plane imports. The description “Duty Determination on Imports of 100- to 150-Seat Large Civil Aircraft From Canada“ will sound oddly specific to most readers, but very familiar to people interested in civil aviation. One-hundred to 150-seat Canadian aircrafts are currently […]
Georgia’s new plain packaging rules: how we bully countries into bad laws
The Republic of Georgia parachuted into law a plan mandating plain packaging for all tobacco products. As of now, only Australia, the United Kingdom and France make it compulsory for cigarettes to be sold in neutral packs without colors or branding. Now, the Caucasus region will follow suit.
Recycling CO2 might be possible in the future
While the question of CO2-emissions becomes increasingly worrying for most members of society, the answer from many government officials sounds dim. As of now, the reduction of pollution with the greenhouse gas is only dealt with through advocacy of lower consumption: we institute daylight saving times, No Car days or ban plastic bags. Whether or […]
Martin Schulz is the first victim of Brexit
On September 24, Germans headed to the polls to elect a new parliament. Despite Angela Merkel’s Christian-Democrat CDU/CSU losing massively in support, she remains in a position of forming a government in the coming months. Her Social-Democrat rival Martin Schulz however lost his shot at the Chancellor’s office and announced on Sunday evening that his […]
A ‘digital tax’ is just another burden on consumers
In a recent move by four EU member states, the European Union has brought up the issue of digital taxation, by suggesting that online business services should be taxed on turnover, not on profits. Based on an initiative by the finance ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Spain, these four governments demand action of the […]
The EU funds protectionist NGOs while simultaneously seeking more free trade
In the acronym-filled debate about the European Union’s trade policies, the mood has taken a decidedly anti-free trade turn in recent years. CETA and TTIP both incited large-scale protests in major European cities. The question, then, is: who is fuelling the anti-free trade spirit that has taken hold? The answer might surprise you.
Phone cameras have become little helpers in engaging with law enforcement
Remember when the first mobile phones came with integrated cameras? A revolutionary concept to many people, which begged many to ask the question why a camera was necessary in a mobile in the first place? Didn’t we have proper cameras for that. And indeed, the first phone cameras didn’t really prove to be very effective. […]
The EU’s populist rhetoric on dual food quality
When EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker mentioned in his state of the union address to the European Parliament that it is unacceptable that some member states get lower quality products in their supermarket than others, many Central and European citizens must have felt relief.
How the Polish government is eroding liberty
Poland’s Law and Justice party (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość – PiS) has made international headlines due to its radical reform policy regarding the country’s judiciary system. These reforms are problematic, but they are not the only reason to be concerned about the future of freedom in the Central European state.
Bill Wirtz 