Love or hate it, Brexit offers many opportunities for regulatory overhaul. The recently released UK budget gets rid of the tampon tax, a financial instrument long criticised by the feminist movement (and rightfully so). Another tool of regulation which the European Union has long imposed on Britain should now also be axed: the 2001 directive on […]
European nations have responded to coronavirus in varied ways. Italy and Spain put their countries on lockdown to help deal with having the highest number of cases on the continent. Others like Germany and France have followed suit, even though Berlin seems to have a better approach, seeing fewer deaths than in other nations. The United Kingdom […]
On Friday, the Consumer Choice Center hosted a live stream on Facebook with the entire staff team (which is all confined in one way or another due to the Coronavirus). We all gave our updates, and you can watch the entire stream down below. My bit is at 20:00.
“Papiere bitte!” (Papers please!) is an order that hasn’t been uttered in a long time at the border with Germany, but as a citizen of Luxembourg (a small monarchy between Germany, France, and Belgium) I would now hear it if I were trying to enter. Berlin has ordered the closure of the borders to Luxembourg, […]
Germany remains a political barometer for Europe. Following the happenings in Berlin and the 16 German state governments can give you a good idea of where the continent will be heading. During the sovereign debt crisis, German criticism of the euro as a common currency opened the floodgates for mainstream opposition (that ultimately did not […]
Disclaimer: Independently of my arguments in this blog post, it remains very important that sanitise your hands regularly, avoid physical contact with other people, and reduce your social interactions to the necessary levels. Particularly avoid contact with elderly people, and those with underlying health conditions. Consult your local government health websites for more information, particularly […]
The upcoming budget, as it has been suggested by the European Commission in May last year, excites itself over its own ambitions. With more contributions from the 27 member states, the European Commission wants to move all countries away from fossil fuel use for energy production, reform agricultural subsidies in a way that Central and Eastern […]
‘Farming looks mighty easy when your plough is a pencil, and you’re a thousand miles from the cornfield.’ Those were the prescient words of US president Dwight Eisenhower. Today, debate about farming has been colonised by environmental activists with little regard for the realities of farming.
Turkey and Syria are headed towards war, after 30 Turkish soldiers were killed in an attack by the Syrian government in a zone previously negotiated to be safe for them. At the same time, Turkey and Russia are also in a de facto war, with Ankara going beyond what are normally considered retaliatory strikes. The […]
The Lancet’s new “A Future for the World’s Children?” report is once again some heavy nanny-stating. But this time, it goes right into real-life parody. The once well respected, but increasingly loony Lancet has in recent years endorse some of the harshest Nanny State policies around. From advertising restrictions to taxation of sugary drinks, the […]
Bill Wirtz 