- 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 »
- February 14th, 2019
- Posted by EU Australia
Things have come to a push-and-shove stage in talks between Europe and Australia over trade – with the EU’s head man in agriculture taking a tough position in Australia this week.
Lee Duffield caught up with the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development (equivalent to a federal minister), Phil Hogan (picture), and members of his negotiating team on the Gold Coast.
He says European Union officials who got the British in a tight corner over their secession from Europe – committing them to pay Brussels €39-billion (A$62.09) – aren’t backward putting their own interests forward. … 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 »
- April 25th, 2015
- Posted by EU Australia
Greece’s left-wing government elected in January continues to find it heavy-going, trying to get debt relief from the country’s demanding financial partners in the Euro Group.
The Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis (picture below), who has joint Greek-Australian citizenship after a decade at Sydney University, was this week arguing once more, at a European Union Finance Ministers meeting in Riga (24.2.15). … Read More »
