http://ecfr.eu/blog/ en admin@ecfr.eu Copyright 2013 2013-05-22T15:05:38+00:00 http://ecfr.eu/blog/entry/china_-_germany_a_new_special_relationship When:15:05:38Z This weekend, the newly appointed Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang makes his first offical visit to the EU - he travels to Berlin to meet Angela Merkel. This is a meeting of the two economicRead more… Jonas Parello-Plesner, China, Germany in Europe, 2013-05-22T15:05:38+00:00 http://ecfr.eu/blog/entry/searching_for_a_new_palestinian_vision When:11:31:50Z At a time when the two-state solution is experiencing what could be its last agonising convulsions and with negotiations seemingly unable to achieve anything other than perpetuating the status quo,Read more… Hugh Lovatt , Middle East and North Africa, 2013-05-22T11:31:50+00:00 http://ecfr.eu/blog/entry/and_the_winner_is_azerbaijan When:09:21:13Z No, it is not Eurovision but energy in South Eastern Europe I am talking about. There is a reason why a statue of the late leader Heydar Aliev adorns a square in downtown Belgrade. BalkanRead more… Dimitar Bechev, Wider Europe, 2013-05-22T09:21:13+00:00 http://ecfr.eu/blog/entry/economic_reform_in_egypt_takes_another_hit When:14:53:18Z A few weeks ago, an important player backed out of Egypt’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Hany Kadry Dimian, former deputy finance minister and the IMF’s “go-to” manRead more… Farah Halime, Middle East and North Africa, 2013-05-21T14:53:18+00:00 http://ecfr.eu/blog/entry/signs_of_straits_in_algeria When:10:31:17Z At the end of April as Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was flown to France for treatment, in my blog post "The perils of gerontocracy", I warned that these are testing times for theRead more… Susi Dennison , Middle East and North Africa, 2013-05-21T10:31:17+00:00 http://ecfr.eu/blog/entry/time_to_get_real_about_the_european_dream_and_the_american_one When:14:42:15Z As part of our Scorecard debate here is a new guest blog post - this time we hear from Prof. Michael E. Smith (University of Aberdeen). You can also follow him on twitter @ProfMESmith. May 9 wasRead more… Michael E. Smith, Scorecard, 2013-05-16T14:42:15+00:00 http://ecfr.eu/blog/entry/us_-_turkey_relations_a_bitter_honeymoon When:13:49:02Z Today relations between the US and Turkey are in a much better shape than a few years ago. Israel's decision to apologise to the Turks over the 2010 Gaza flotilla incident and offer financialRead more… Dimitar Bechev, Europe and the world, 2013-05-16T13:49:02+00:00 http://ecfr.eu/blog/entry/madrid_view_now_eurunemployed When:08:46:59Z The European economy now lies under a shadow - the severe situation of unemployment, stagnation and cutbacks in the welfare state, bringing hardship to millions of Europeans. The magnitudes areRead more… Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, Madrid view, Reinventing Europe, 2013-05-16T08:46:59+00:00 http://ecfr.eu/blog/entry/bulgarias_elections_change_we_disbelieve_in When:11:42:21Z “If elections changed anything they would have them banned”. So read a well-known piece of Sofia graffiti some years ago (inspired by political activist/anarchist Emma Goldman). Bulgaria’sRead more… Dimitar Bechev, Sofia view, 2013-05-15T11:42:21+00:00 http://ecfr.eu/blog/entry/will_china_become_an_arctic_observer When:12:29:38Z Kiruna - a calm town in North Sweden - is currenty hosting the annual Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting. The Arctic Council is a regional organisation which usually does not receive a lot ofRead more… Jonas Parello-Plesner, China, 2013-05-14T12:29:38+00:00