Comments for Progressive Change http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras Dr. Vasilis Margaras is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels and a Local Government Consultant for Greek Regions. He deals with issues of EU-Western Balkans Relations, ESDP and EU Cohesion Policy. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:43:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on What happened to the EU gender dimension? by sopa and pipa http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2010/04/21/what-happened-to-the-eu-gender-dimension/comment-page-1/#comment-1948 sopa and pipa Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:43:05 +0000 http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/?p=12#comment-1948 <strong>sopa and pipa...</strong> [...]What happened to the EU gender dimension? « Progressive Change[...]... sopa and pipa…

[...]What happened to the EU gender dimension? « Progressive Change[...]…

]]> Comment on Notes of progressive harmony sound across Croatia by inexpensivehotel ininzagreb http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2010/01/24/notes-of-progressive-harmony-sound-across-croatia/comment-page-1/#comment-1929 inexpensivehotel ininzagreb Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:25:18 +0000 http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2010/01/24/notes-of-progressive-harmony-sound-across-croatia/#comment-1929 <strong>inexpensivehotel ininzagreb...</strong> [...]Notes of progressive harmony sound across Croatia « Progressive Change[...]... inexpensivehotel ininzagreb…

[...]Notes of progressive harmony sound across Croatia « Progressive Change[...]…

]]> Comment on Notes of progressive harmony sound across Croatia by filmovi http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2010/01/24/notes-of-progressive-harmony-sound-across-croatia/comment-page-1/#comment-1504 filmovi Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:19:48 +0000 http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2010/01/24/notes-of-progressive-harmony-sound-across-croatia/#comment-1504 <strong>filmovi...</strong> [...]Notes of progressive harmony sound across Croatia « Progressive Change[...]... filmovi…

[...]Notes of progressive harmony sound across Croatia « Progressive Change[...]…

]]> Comment on Integrating EU and Turkish Municipalities: Europeanising from below? by paginas web http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2011/02/13/integrating-eu-and-turkish-municipalities-europeanising-from-below/comment-page-1/#comment-1495 paginas web Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:20:30 +0000 http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/?p=55#comment-1495 I think it's a rather sensitive issue, Turkey should move forward even if the EU lacks objectivity, it is important to take as an example what happened with Greece, I believe that sharing experiences and unifying can reach a better solution. excellent article regards I think it’s a rather sensitive issue, Turkey should move forward even if the EU lacks objectivity, it is important to take as an example what happened with Greece, I believe that sharing experiences and unifying can reach a better solution. excellent article

regards

]]> Comment on Do not shoot the Greeks! by Winkie http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2010/03/05/do-not-shoot-the-greeks/comment-page-1/#comment-1124 Winkie Sun, 09 Oct 2011 08:18:18 +0000 http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2010/03/05/do-not-shoot-the-greeks/#comment-1124 This is what I don't get. If Greece cheated to become a part of the Euro-zone over twenty years ago, why wasn't it kicked out as soon as it was found out? It isn't as if other European nations just suddenly found out Greek governments can be corrupt. My guess is it probably benefited at least some nations to have Greece join and now that it doesn't benefit them, all these things are brought up. What did Greece gain by joining the eurozone? In the long run it doesn't seem like much. I have a Greek pen-pal who works like a dog for very low wages, even on the weekends. As an engineer, he only makes like 800 euros gross and is thinking of getting out of there. I feel bad for people like him. At least the guy doesn't have kids and is fairly young still and can move. It must be a lot tougher for those who have children and can't move or don't want to. I also have a pen-pal who is married and has two children. She constantly worries . This is what I don’t get. If Greece cheated to become a part of the Euro-zone over twenty years ago, why wasn’t it kicked out as soon as it was found out? It isn’t as if other European nations just suddenly found out Greek governments can be corrupt. My guess is it probably benefited at least some nations to have Greece join and now that it doesn’t benefit them, all these things are brought up. What did Greece gain by joining the eurozone? In the long run it doesn’t seem like much. I have a Greek pen-pal who works like a dog for very low wages, even on the weekends. As an engineer, he only makes like 800 euros gross and is thinking of getting out of there. I feel bad for people like him. At least the guy doesn’t have kids and is fairly young still and can move. It must be a lot tougher for those who have children and can’t move or don’t want to. I also have a pen-pal who is married and has two children. She constantly worries .

]]> Comment on Does Europe need a Security and Defence Strategy? by Does Europe need a Security and Defence Strategy? | Random Notes http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2010/09/13/does-europe-need-a-security-and-defence-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-1086 Does Europe need a Security and Defence Strategy? | Random Notes Sun, 02 Oct 2011 02:50:44 +0000 http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/?p=46#comment-1086 [...] Does Europe need a Security and Defence Strategy? … Howorth also claims that the EU engages... … “total defense model” is the only way to go “to have” a European defense [...] [...] Does Europe need a Security and Defence Strategy? … Howorth also claims that the EU engages… … “total defense model” is the only way to go “to have” a European defense [...]

]]> Comment on The political bankruptcy of Europe by free credit report http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2010/12/19/the-political-bankruptcy-of-europe/comment-page-1/#comment-1026 free credit report Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:50:26 +0000 http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/?p=53#comment-1026 <strong>credit score...</strong> [...]The political bankruptcy of Europe « Progressive Change[...]... credit score…

[...]The political bankruptcy of Europe « Progressive Change[...]…

]]> Comment on What Europe needs to do in its neighbourhood: recommendations for a more effective European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) by Randy http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2011/04/23/what-europe-needs-to-do-in-its-neighbourhood-recommendations-for-a-more-effective-european-neighbourhood-policy-enp/comment-page-1/#comment-888 Randy Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:07:28 +0000 http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/?p=58#comment-888 Years ago I would have thought that Europe could unite, culturally, economically and politically. Now I have changed my mind, especially considering the current financial crisis there. How could anyone really expect a country such as Germany to have a common currency with a place such as Greece? That is like me joining forces with my trailer/red-neck/trashy neighbors--no way! Years ago I would have thought that Europe could unite, culturally, economically and politically.
Now I have changed my mind, especially considering the current financial crisis there.
How could anyone really expect a country such as Germany to have a common currency with a place such as Greece?
That is like me joining forces with my trailer/red-neck/trashy neighbors–no way!

]]> Comment on What happened to the EU gender dimension? by Coalition of Religious Communities http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2010/04/21/what-happened-to-the-eu-gender-dimension/comment-page-1/#comment-870 Coalition of Religious Communities Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:36:18 +0000 http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/?p=12#comment-870 Men and women are always going to be different, just like all men are different. The idea we need to focus on is that they all deserve equal rights as human beings. Men and women are always going to be different, just like all men are different. The idea we need to focus on is that they all deserve equal rights as human beings.

]]> Comment on What Europe needs to do in its neighbourhood: recommendations for a more effective European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) by Joe http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/2011/04/23/what-europe-needs-to-do-in-its-neighbourhood-recommendations-for-a-more-effective-european-neighbourhood-policy-enp/comment-page-1/#comment-792 Joe Fri, 06 May 2011 14:08:53 +0000 http://blogs.euobserver.com/margaras/?p=58#comment-792 The world isn't exactly waiting with bated breathe any longer, but the EU doing anything at all (other than issue some FINE press releases) would be something of a miracle. This is the way I do my Kremlinology of the situation. When something awful happens somewhere, I look for noteworthy differences between the EU (and its' member states for that matter)... their expression of either "regret", "deep regret", or "regret" combined with some form of sorrowful hand wringing. Another good metric is to see how many days they can go pretending to exhibet some shame about peddling weapons to the wrong belligerants - not watching for a halt in the peddling, just counting the days of displaying angst about it. Oh, and Roger - this is Europe's war. The US was dragged into it out of simple helplessness to contain a murdering crackpot. Later calling it a NATO operation it the US' way of communicating to the UK and France that they have too many butterflies about finishing what they started, they can appear to be doing it as someone else. It's also a way for the White House to be able to maintain to the President's adherents that we're only "partly" involved, and that we aren't (by default of European incapacity) "going it alone". The world isn’t exactly waiting with bated breathe any longer, but the EU doing anything at all (other than issue some FINE press releases) would be something of a miracle.

This is the way I do my Kremlinology of the situation. When something awful happens somewhere, I look for noteworthy differences between the EU (and its’ member states for that matter)… their expression of either “regret”, “deep regret”, or “regret” combined with some form of sorrowful hand wringing.

Another good metric is to see how many days they can go pretending to exhibet some shame about peddling weapons to the wrong belligerants – not watching for a halt in the peddling, just counting the days of displaying angst about it.

Oh, and Roger – this is Europe’s war. The US was dragged into it out of simple helplessness to contain a murdering crackpot. Later calling it a NATO operation it the US’ way of communicating to the UK and France that they have too many butterflies about finishing what they started, they can appear to be doing it as someone else.
It’s also a way for the White House to be able to maintain to the President’s adherents that we’re only “partly” involved, and that we aren’t (by default of European incapacity) “going it alone”.

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