Category: European Politics

Dick O’Brien is surprised at my noting that I got the impression that he has ‘some sympathy’ for Dennis O’Brien It was a straight misread – I read ‘a little sympathy’ rather than ‘little sympathy’. Apologies Dick. I’m going to have to stop blogging while cider is running through my brain.

Dick expresses ‘some’ sympathy for Irish uber-entrepeneur Denis O’Brien. I have no sympathy for him at all – in fact I think he should be fined the sum total of his profits from selling Esat – and you all know the reason – corruption. Esat Telecom, based on all the evidence from Moriarty, as I…

Secrets are spilled of 1993 deception that allowed president to suppress parliament. This is amazing stuff. Officials and participants today paint a fresh picture of the clashes that began with rioting on October 2 and led to tanks rolling up to the parliament building on October 4. The Kremlin and western governments portrayed the unrest…

Dick has responded, in depth, as ever… Just what is so undemocratic about the EU is beyond me. Sure, we all hear about the bureaucrats in Brussels, but all the decisions are made by our elected representatives. The Council of Ministers comprises of our governments while the European Parliament is directly elected. European Commissioners are…

It seems that I have created a bit of a stir with my comments yesterday on the European Union. Blog Irish picked up on my post and noted: Gavin’s line is a little too close to the Shinners’ for out taste, but it is the witless enforcement of “consensus” masking real problems that gives the…

Of course off the back of a No in Sweden, we have a firm yes in Estonia. I hope the Estonians know what they are letting themselves in for. With all the votes counted, the Yes side had 66.9 per cent, compared with the No side’s 33.1 per cent. Some 63 per cent of 850,000…

So Sweden has voted no the euro. I can’t help but admit that I am absolutely delighted. Yes, your Irish blogger Gavin Sheridan is, for all intents and purposes, a euro-sceptic. Back in my younger days I was a euro enthusiast, loving the ideal of a great and unified Europe, intent on pursuing peace and…

William Pfaff writes a good take on EU expansion, he gives the whole moral argument that was given to the Irish during the Nice Referendum, I dont buy it. If a country in Europe wants to join – let it – once it meets the criteria needed. This idea that we are doing it for…

Gideon Burrows is creating quite a stir here in London on the subject of the Defence Systems and Equipment International arms convention. His article featured as the cover story for this weeks New Statesman. Worth a look. Naturally, protests are planned against the arms fair, and not just among peaceniks and the anti-capitalist crowd, though…

Dick over at Back Seat Drivers has brought up the alcohol debate over the last few days. The topic has also featured on Samizdata I wrote an article (June 23) for the New Statesman back in June on the subject so I think I will publish the entire unedited version here. I have a fairly…