The European Council on Foreign Relations

Commentary: José Ignacio Torreblanca

Trench warfare

Snubbing the European Union never came so easy or at such a cheap price.

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Tomatoes and foreign policy

Europe has to make up its mind: it’s either tomatoes or immigrants.

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A Kosovan eye-opener

There is no way back from Kosovo’s declaration of independence - we must accept this and start helping to build a prosperous nation.

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Orlando's refusal

Spain’s policy on Cuba it’s a wait-and-see attitude, and not an absurd one; but we should not use the word “policy”.

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Piñata capitalism

Europe should have a stronger voice when it comes to reforms in the financial system.

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Visible immigrants

The only relevant question about immigrants is whether or not their children will go to university.

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Zapatero, stay cool. And if necessary, be boring.

Interview with José Ignacio Torreblanca on what to expect from the Spanish EU Presidency in times of economic crisis and institutional innovation.

The European grill

Every EU presidency faces unexpected crises; now Haití is rapidly becoming the crisis that tests both the Spanish rotating presidency and the EU’s capacity for coordinating foreign policy action.

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A Bush under the tree

Obama has spent the year picking up the lost balls left behind by Bush, now he’s ready to play again in 2010.

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EU presidency baton goes to Spain

Spain will need to put national interests aside if it is to help give the post-Lisbon Europe real influence on the world stage.

World climate authority

We only have one planet. But we are managing it by outdated means: sovereignty was good at controlling feudal lords a couple of hundred years ago. Perhaps it is in the area of the climate change that the supranational EU can be a model for the rest of the world?

Iron diplomacy

How is it that Spain, a country that has recently known a long dictatorship, is so insensitive to activists for democracy and human rights in other countries?

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Reflecting for action

What will Europe’s leaders do with the reflection group’s report, which aims to be straight talking, concise and legible, when Felipe González delivers next year?

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Diplosaurs

Europe’s Foreign Ministers must do all they can to help the new High Representative if the EU is to enjoy a fully functional foreign policy.

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Cold feet in a Turkish bath

Nobody wants to admit it, but Turkish accession negotiations are dead in the water

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In the Press

The Age - 07 Sep 10

Thomas Klau on France's pension protests.

TIME - 06 Sep 10

Jose Ignacio Torreblanca on the significance of ETA's call for a cease-fire.

Les Echos - 01 Sep 10

Thomas Klau on Germany’s linchpin role in the eurozone governance debate.

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