Jon Worth's Euroblog

Things have gone from bad to worse with this row over the cartoons of Muhammad that first appeared in Jyllands-Posten last year. For an excellent and concise overview of what has been happening, see this blog entry from Robert Lindsay.

Like many people engaged in EU politics work, I read EUObserver on an almost daily basis. What few people know is that its editor – Lisbeth Kirk – is married to Jens-Peter Bonde, chair of the Danish June Movement and

OK, so am I writing it off before it has even started? Sorry, but I just cannot see how the European Union’s Communication Policy, laid out today in Margot Wallstr√∂m’s White Paper [PDF] can possibly work. The issue is simple.

Now, as readers of this blog who have ever discussed European politics with me will know, I am no fan of Gisela Stuart. All started so well for any Labour voter – her beaming face, winning in Birminigham Edgbaston in

My reflections after the Sound of Europe conference in Salzburg have been continuing over the last few days. I still don’t have everything clear in my mind about what could or should be learnt from the conference – a better

Before the start of the Sound of Europe conference this weekend, I thought writing as many observations here would not be a bad idea. With free wireless in the conference centre, uploading things was quick and simple. Yet a quick

The Sound of Europe is over, and I am sat in the relative silence of the press centre as the delegates leave the place. I can’t really write any profound analysis here and now. I am utterly gutted and drained

The more I reflect on the speeches yesterday, the more disappointed I become. First of all: enlargement. De Villepin, Moisi and many others seemed to be obsessed by the borders of Europe, and stated so much how important the borders

The afternoon panel of the Sound of Europe conference?? Wallström is back, but looked a bit nervous and had negative body language, Plassnik looked serene and calm, Danskeckguber looked smug, and Moisi too. The best quote at the start came

The morning started with a quick and bland introduction from Wolfgang Sch√?ssel, followed by some words from Margot Wallstr√∂m. Nothing much of note, except the video Wallstr√∂m wanted to show did not work correctly. She then left the conference –