- July 27th, 2020
- Posted by EU Australia
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, came out of the European Union summit last week all smiles, saying the deal just reached on eventually getting over CORVID-19 was an “historic” game-changer.
It had set up spending forthwith of €750-billion (A$1230-bilion) to repair and re-start the European economy, an act proclaimed by Macron as signalling strong unity, the emergence of not only an economic union, but political and strategic – “sovereign, unified, democratic”. … Read More »
- December 12th, 2018
- Posted by EU Australia
Teresa May’s postponement of the show-down vote over leaving Europe, in the British parliament, has highlighted a full-scale conflict over ideologies and wills – and high risk for the country’s future.
Lee Duffield who has a long background reporting European affairs says walking out which looked simple has proved complicated and dangerous.
In the first of two articles he documents the agreement between the British government and European Union, and the fight over it which has paralysed politics in the United Kingdom. … Read More »
- July 16th, 2018
- Posted by EU Australia
Weakening of accord between Europe and the United States comes at a moment when Australian-EU relations are intensifying – raising thoughts about some future test of loyalty among friends.
British secession from the European Union that is set to become formal on 19.3.19 should complicate things even more. … Read More »
- July 16th, 2015
- Posted by EU Australia
Despite differences and divisions within the ruling Syriza coalition in Athens, and among the creditors, a new financial ‘bail-out’ agreement has passed the Greek parliament, 229 votes to 64.
Deputies from the extremist right-wing Golden Dawn railed against the package, and communists from one wing of the coalition walked out, in sympathy with demonstrators in the square outside.
The rest of the government, together with the main parliamentary opposition parties Pasok and Nea Demokratia, signalled that a highly reluctant and unhappy consensus might be achieved for very tough economic battles ahead. … Read More »
- June 30th, 2015
- Posted by EU Australia
Greece has not met the deadline for payment of the next installment on debt due to the IMF, on Tuesday night.
There were eleventh-hour exchanges between the Greek government and EU Ministers, ongoing; Greece making a new proposal on debt rescheduling and terms, the other side talking now about waiting for the outcome of the referendum set for this Sunday.
Back story, posted on the weekend:-
On Friday, 26.6.15, the creditors negotiating with the Greek government over its debt repayments put down an offer of a bigger bail-out than earlier sought, but with an adamant demand for rigid austerity measures to be extended in Greece.
The Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, returned to Athens for a late-night television address, calling a referendum for this Sunday, 5.7.15 ;one that would test support for his position against the final offer . … Read More »
- June 24th, 2015
- Posted by EU Australia
Compromise talks at Brussels have seen the outlines of a deal that should, yet still might not avert the debt payment crisis looming for 30 June – achieving little else than to clarify possible terms of any permanent settlement.
How will it play with the angry, and desperate crowds in Athens, and the citizen-voters or investors in the other European states? Early signs were not so good.
Lee Duffield writes.
… Read More »
- June 16th, 2015
- Posted by EU Australia
The new count-down for Greece to make a major debt repayment — €7.2-billion (A$8.5-billion, xe.com, 11.6.15) by the end of the month – looks more serious and final than any before; yet, so did a series of earlier approaches to a deadline … see also, Ambassador comments. … Read More »
