It would be wise to accept that the Spitzenkandidaten system is broken and to look for a democratic replacement, writes Dick Roche, bringing up as arguments nuggets of vintage EU politics.
The Commission’s ‘strategy’ is to phase out conventional biofuels in the hope that they will miraculously be replaced by ‘advanced’ biofuels in Europe’s transport energy mix isn’t backed by science or by logic, writes Dick Roche.
‘Live horse and you’ll get grass’ is an old Irish proverb used in the context of vague promises of future benefits. This is precisely where Ireland stands with the vague promises on the Irish border issue, writes Dick Roche.
The Northern Irish DUP party, a junior coalition member to Theresa May’s government, is a stumbling block to unlocking the Brexit talks. Dick Roche gives the receipt how the problem can be solved.
A response delivered by Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete in the European Parliament last week demonstrates just how dangerously out of touch with reality the executive is on a policy that impacts on the lives of hundreds of thousands of EU citizens, writes Dick Roche.
Will the report of the EU Court of Auditors (ECA) regarding the EU system for the certification of sustainable biofuels spark an outbreak of common sense within the Commission, asks Dick Roche.
Kicking the big guy in the shins is always a popular political diversion – particularly when the big guy in question is an American multinational, writes Dick Roche.
While the contest to select the next UN Secretary-General may not be on a par with the slugging match for the White House, it is beginning to heat up - with some decidedly undiplomatic tactics evident in the campaign to replace Ban Ki-moon, writes Dick Roche.
Public policy should be built on firm foundations. Objective analysis, verifiable facts and solid science are good starting points, but that was absent in biofuels policy-making, writes Dick Roche.
The implications for Northern Ireland of the UK leaving the EU are more complex and potentially more dangerous than those facing any other region of the UK, writes Dick Roche.
Any gesturing on the side of the EU-27, or from the Union's institutions that smacks of hectoring, bullying, impatience or disrespect will make a bad situation worse, writes Dick Roche.
The European Commission's proposal to scrap the mandate for the use of biofuels and, in effect, to ‘kiss biofuels goodbye,’ is a catastrophic policy based largely on arguments that have no solid foundation, writes Dick Roche.
The decision by David Cameron to allow members of his cabinet a free choice in the upcoming EU referendum is an intriguing example of history repeating itself, writes Dick Roche.
On 15 December, Bulgaria will mark the 20th anniversary since it made its EU membership application. On this occasion, Dick Roche recalls the country’s EU path and questions if the treatment it gets from the EU is fair.
Getting through the negotiations could well be a lot easier than getting through the UK referendum campaign and David Cameron should learn the lessons of past Irish referenda, writes Dick Roche.
The prospect of having the first UN Secretary-General from Eastern Europe is an opportunity for the region, and for Europe as a whole. Bulgaria’s Irina Bokova has demonstrated her vote- winning capacity at UN level, writes Dick Roche.
