She looks as unruffled and collected as ever: Angela Merkel’s relentless success is much in the line of German politics, which eulogises experience and calmness in the face of major challenges.
Young Voices Podcast #73: Do French Smokers Need a Nanny?
I had the pleasure to talk to Stephen Kent from the Young Voices podcast about the last tobacco regulations in the European Union.
New Role: Editor-in-Chief of SpeakFreely.today
On Friday, I took over the post of Editor-in-Chief of the new blog of European Students for Liberty: Speak Freely. The website can be reached at http://www.speakfreely.today.
At the Launch of FOREST EU in Brussels
On the 31st of May, the smokers’ rights organisation FOREST launched its office in Brussels. FOREST EU intends on working with consumers and policy makers in order to defend the freedom of choice of people who enjoy tobacco. For the launch event, I gave a short interview for their promotional video. You can check it […]
Theresa May Now Needs to Deliver on Brexit or Leave
In the United Kingdom, voters headed to the polls on Thursday to elect a new parliament. In a major upset, the Conservative Party of Prime Minister Theresa May has lost its absolute majority, all while remaining the strongest party in Westminster. With only 319 seats instead of the 326 needed for a majority, May is […]
We Might be on the Verge of Replacing Conventional Petrol
As the call for sustainable solutions for climate change is constantly around, environmentalists are suggesting decreasing consumption. In order to reduce the level of CO₂ in the atmosphere, politicians intend to limit the total consumption, for instance by instituting Pigouvian taxes (punitive taxes).
The State of Emergency: A Monster of Our own Creation
When former French president François Hollande declared a state of emergency in November 2015, after the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris, the government was clear on its intentions. Former prime minister Manuel Valls recommended the country remain in the state of emergency until ISIS was defeated. By that standard, it’s going to be a long time before civil […]
Really, another country that wants to ‘regulate the internet’?
On Saturday, the United Kingdom suffered its second terrorist attack in only a few weeks. Three assailants rammed a van into pedestrians on the very central London Bridge in London, killing seven and wounding 48 (21 are fighting for their lives in the hospital at this time). According to The Telegraph, the police fired […]
Sorry Emmanuel, Nobody Wants to Go to France
In response to US president Donald Trump pulling out of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, French president Emmanuel Macron has criticised the announcement as ‘a mistake’. In a statement made on Friday, Macron tackled Trump’s decision to leave the agreement and refuse all implementation of its requirements.
French High Court Questions Legality of EU Tobacco Laws
On May 10th, the Conseil d’Etat, the highest administrative court in France, decided to ask for clarifications from the European Union Court of Justice regarding the recent EU Tobacco Products Directive.
Bill Wirtz 