The German politician Manfred Weber is the current front-runner of the European People’s Party (EPP), making him the most likely personality to become the next Commission president. So who is Manfred Weber, and what does his candidacy mean for EU politics?
Greenpeace: Das Spiel mit Desinformation
Das österreichische Forschungsportal “Addendum” hat im Juli ein Video über die Fakten von genmanipulierten Lebensmitteln veröffentlicht. Genetisch veränderte Lebensmittel stehen weiterhin unter Kritik, besonders von Organisationen wie Greenpeace. Dass Addendum-Video zeigt die unangenehme Realität der Umweltorganisation, die mit Desinformation Spendengelder einfährt.
“Fraktiounszwang”: How Luxembourgish MPs let themselves be bullied into following the party line
“Who’s in favour? Who’s against? Who abstains?” The questions asked by parliamentary chairman Mars Di Bartolomeo (LSAP) aren’t that different from those of any other parliament in Europe. Yet Luxembourg is different, if only due to its size. Indeed, any legislature that could fit into your average pizzeria is unquestionably small. But, with only 60 […]
“Do I know you?” Luxembourg’s intense focus on individual candidates for election
The campaign leading up to Luxembourg’s parliamentary elections on 14 October has been quite the sideshow. Don’t be surprised if, during your visit to the Schueberfouer funfair in Luxembourg City, someone in a suit and coloured tie hands you a flyer, a pen, some chewing gum, a fan or some other gadget to mark the […]
Germany’s Nazis surf on empty dialogue
The German city of Chemnitz, in the state of Saxony, is seeing large protests by neo-Nazis, following a fatal stabbing of a German citizen by refugees. The men arrested in the case are a 22-year old Iraqi and a 23-year-old Syrian, who are now being charged with voluntary manslaughter.
Elon Musk’s promises on reusable rockets need to be met with more scepticism
Elon Musk’s rise to fame through SpaceX, his Tesla car brand, and his extravagant personality as a whole, comes with questions about his efficacy vis-a-vis his promises. SpaceX itself published a video in September last year mocking its regular failures in landing rocket boosters. Those spectacular “fails” might be amusing to viewers, but it becomes more nuanced […]
Luxembourg’s dwarf-party conundrum
Ten parties are running in Luxembourg’s parliamentary elections on 14 October. Eight are running in all four of the country’s electoral districts, while two of them – Demokratie and Déi Konservativ (the Conservatives) – are only on the ballot in one or two districts.
New to Luxembourg? 5 things you need to know about the upcoming elections
On October 14, Luxembourgers will take to the polls to elect a new parliament. To those newly arrived in the Grand Duchy, the myriad political posters with unfamiliar faces might look confusing. Here are the five things you need to know about Luxembourg’s election.
China’s trade and investment policy can break up the European Union
At the current moment, the European Union is as divided as ever: Central and Eastern European nations are fundamentally at odds with the vision of EU leaders in Brussels. The one thing that has been holding the group together is a common investment and trade policy. The People’s Republic of China however, has the potential […]
The EU’s enlargement process needs to stop
As the European Union’s integration policies come increasingly under fire, and the union does not agree between itself where it wants to head, it is unwise for Brussels to flirt with the accession of countries such as Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia or Albania. In fact, the EU needs a halt to all accessions for a longer […]