Last week, US president Donald Trump announced tariffs on steel and aluminium, as a means to protect local American industries from foreign competition. This is in line with Trump’s general tendency towards economic protectionism, demonstrated by his support for tariffs on the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier’s C-series jets (planes which are partially produced in the UK […]
Brexit ruined a generation of political dialogue in the UK
As the divorce between Britain and the European Union moves closer to its final deadline of March 2019, a number of observations can be made regarding the fallout. The overly optimistic “Leavers” and the forcefully hysterical “Remainers” are both wrong. For the most part, we cannot know what the future brings.
La politique anti-alcool nous rend ivre
Les politiques visant à lutter contre la consommation d’alcool se sont multipliées de manière agressive au cours de la dernière décennie. Les lobbyistes de la santé publique nous disent continuellement que nous n’en faisons tout simplement pas assez pour réduire la consommation d’alcool dans tous les secteurs. En conséquence, les politiciens ont procédé de la […]
German diesel bans: where’s the consumer choice?
In a landmark ruling this week, the German Federal Administrative Court has decided that cities have the right to ban diesel cars. The federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Nordrhein-Westfalen had appealed against the decision of the states of Stuttgart and Düsseldorf to outlaw diesel cars on its roads.
The stupidity of tariffs
President Trump announced that he will impose tariffs on steel and aluminium, as a way of protecting local industries against foreign imports. This news didn’t go down well in steel-producing European countries, and has seemingly obligated the European Union to respond to the U.S. administration.
Germany’s Facebook-law is a disaster for free speech
Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz. No, I didn’t just fall asleep on my keyboard. This is the actual name of Germany’s Facebook law which came into effect in autumn of 2017. This new legislation, officially known as “law for the improvement of law enforcement on social media”, is cracking down on “fake news” and abuse on platforms such as […]
[REPORTAGE] Stolassociatioun: Duerch US-Zoll sinn dausenden vun Aarbechtsplazen a Gefor
Dëse Reportage gouf fir RTL Radio Lëtzebuerg realiséiert, an ass den 13. Mäerz ausgestraalt ginn. De Beitrag kann och am Replay op http://www.rtl.lu nogelauschtert ginn. [Radio USO]: Den 23. Mäerz trieden dem U.S Präsident Donald Trump seng Importsteieren op Stool an Aluminium a Kraaft. Op enger Pressekonferenz zesummen mam franséischen Wirtschaftsminister Bruno Le Maire warnen d’Associatiounen vu […]
Protectionist lobbying in the EU is in full swing
The EU is currently negotiating a trade agreement with the four founding members of Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay). It should come to nobody’s surprise that the opposition to such a trade deal is already in the making. But who are these campaigners who so vehemently reject the idea of intercontinental trade?
Scandale des sèche-mains électriques: une photo sur Facebook n’est pas une preuve scientifique
Une jeune étudiante en Californie a fait revenir les sèche-mains électriques dans le débat public, après un post sur Facebook. La jeune femme avait placé une boîte transparente à l’intérieur d’un sèche-mains électrique Dyson Airblade dans des toilettes publiques pour femmes. Elle l’a ouverte pendant trois minutes alors qu’il fonctionnait, puis l’a refermée et a observé […]
Where did the moral high ground on trade go?
With the announcement of new tariffs on steel and aluminum, U.S president Donald Trump is setting the international community up for a trade war. At least that seems to be the conclusion that EU leaders are drawing from the announcement. Instead of trying to find a diplomatic solution, the Juncker Commission is taking a confrontational […]