April 7, 2011
By adopting a text in its new constitution which says that the only legal tender in Hungary is the forint, the Fidesz-led supermajority in Hungary is building a wall against the euro. Hungary may not be ready to adopt the euro anytime soon, but it is obliged to do so by its accession treaty. The… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
The new Hungarian constitution will be ready on 15 March and will be adopted a month later, its main author MEP József Szájer, who wrote part of it on his iPad, told me in an interview. “Steve Jobs will surely be happy when he gets word that Hungary’s new constitution is being written on an… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
January 25, 2011
Népszabadság, the biggest Hungarian daily, has published the letter by Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes to the Hungarian authorities regarding the controversial media law. The leaked document, dated 21 January, requires clarifications at this stage on three topics and requires an answer in the next two weeks, that is, before the next 4 February EU… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
January 24, 2011
No press point is to be held today (24 January) following the meeting between Commission President Barroso and Islam Karimov, president of Uzbekistan. Barroso receives Karimov in an unprecedented move to engage with an authoritarian leader who has been in charge since 1990 and stands accused of massive violations of human rights. The Commission explained… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
January 4, 2011
Sorry for being so blunt, but reality looks worse than the apprehensions some of us had. The Hungarian EU presidency also has a remarkably bad press. France and other countries are giving advice to Hungary to freeze the media law issue for the period of its presidency. Sweeping the media law under the presidential carpet… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
December 23, 2010
I was in the Commission press room yesterday and together with other colleagues, I asked a couple of questions, trying to get a reaction from the EU executive regarding the new Hungarian media law. I knew of course that the spokesperson would not be able to provide a real answer and would adopt a “wait-and-see”… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
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English, EU Priorities and Opinion, EU Treaty & Institutions, Hungarian, Justice & Home Affairs |
November 26, 2009
Jean Quatremer wrote in hos blog, among other things, that according to an internal Commission paper he saw, Bulgarian commisioner designate Rumiana Jeleva would get Justice and Home Affairs. The news were taken up immediately by the entire Bulgarian press. The daily Dnevnik, the partner of EurActiv in Bulgaria, carried the story, which had already… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
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Bulgarian, Eastern Europe, English, Enlargement & Neighbours, Hungarian, Justice & Home Affairs |
November 6, 2009
That’s the question to ask these days to people you met in the meantime. Well, if you or them are at least 30 years of age. There are moments, like 9/11, when everyone remembers what they have been doing, feeling and experiencing. By the way, the wall also fell on 9/11, but written the European… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
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Czech, Eastern Europe, English, enlargement, Enlargement & Neighbours, German, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak , Berlin Wall, Bulgaria, Eastern Europe, Eastern Germany, STASI |
October 20, 2009
The Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin has punished Bulgaria for not being as pro-Russian as he wants, by excluding it from the South Stream gas pipeline and by abandoning the project of an oil pipeline from the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Varna to to Greek port Alexandroupolis. Indeed, Russia has had a consistent policy… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
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Bulgarian, Eastern Europe, English, enlargement, German, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Security, Slovak, Turkish |
