Archive for the ‘European Union’ Category

New Banksy Brexit art shows workman chiselling off star from European Union flag in Dover – Express.co.uk

The mysterious artists representatives have confirmed he was behind the piece, which depicts a workman chiselling away at one of the 12 golden stars of the EUs flag.

The artwork emerged overnight on the Castle Amusements building near Dovers ferry terminal, which connects Britain to the Continent.

According to the EUs website, the stars stand for the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe.

It appeared at a difficult time in Brexit negotiations, after Theresa May slammed the blocs leadership after a detailed account of her meeting with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker was published in a German newspaper.

RT

According to the report, Mr Juncker told the Prime Minister he was 10 times more sceptical they would not be able to reach a divorce deal with Britain.

The article was joined by various over Brussels briefs, claiming Britain could have to pay as much as 100billion as a potential divorce settlement.

Mrs May alleged the European Commission had sought to influence the snap General Election called weeks before.

She said: The European Commission's negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials.

All of these have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the General Election.

The artwork is only a short crossing from Calais where Banksy sent a host of exhibits from his Dismaland project in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, to be used as shelters for migrants.

He also stencilled several other pieces inspired by the Jungle migrant camp in France, which has since been dismantled.

In January 2016, a mural depicting Apple Founder Steve Jobs, whose biological father was a Syrian immigrant, appeared on the wall of a tunnel in the refugee camp.

William Kasper / SWNS.com

1 of 8

William Kasper says he took this picture of the graffiti king in Bethlehem in 2007

The anonymous artist also criticised the use of teargas in the camp with a piece on the side of the French embassy in London.

It shows a young girl from the film and musical Les Miserables with tears in her eyes as CS gas surrounds her.

Another Calais-inspired artwork by Banksy portrayed a child looking towards Britain while a vulture sits atop their telescope.

Originally posted here:
New Banksy Brexit art shows workman chiselling off star from European Union flag in Dover - Express.co.uk

European Union: Full-blown partnership with Kenya – The Standard (press release)

PHOTO:COURTESY

As we celebrate this year's Europe Day on May 9, we have great confidence and satisfaction in the many ways in which our partnership with the Government and people of Kenya is progressing.

Looking back over the past year, the strength of this partnership has enabled us to respond effectively to crises, most notably the stalling last summer of the Economic Partnership Agreement and more recently the impact of the drought on Kenya and its neighbours.

By working closely together, we've been able to maintain the free access of Kenyan exports to the EU, which is this country's biggest export market, despite the delays of other countries in signing the Economic Partnership Agreement. I'm also proud that the EU was the first international partner to help Kenya address the worst consequences of the drought, by supplying as much as Sh4.5 billion in funding to this country.

With more 500 million consumers, the European Union is the world's biggest single market, the world's biggest exporter and importer. The EU is also Kenya's largest trading partner. Some 26 per cent of the country's exports go to the EU including major exports such as tea, coffee, cut flowers, peas and beans.

The floriculture sector has benefited particularly strongly from its access to the EU market, which is the destination of 70 per cent of all the flowers that Kenya produces. This supports more than half a million Kenyans who depend on the floriculture sector for their livelihoods.

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

ALSO READ: To heal these rifts, why not try a government of national unity?

The EU is also the biggest provider of humanitarian aid in the world, and the biggest provider of development assistance in the world. In Kenya we provide about 100 million Euros a year in development assistance. The EU's partnership with Kenya cuts across all sectors and geographical areas of the country, ranging from roads, energy and entrepreneurship, to education, healthcare and agriculture.

The EU's development assistance supports the Government's Vision 2030 development strategy, focusing on four main areas: food security and resilience to climate change, sustainable infrastructure, accountability of public institutions, and agriculture and rural development. Meanwhile European companies lead the way in investing in these areas, contributing greatly to growth, jobs and tax revenues.

Most important of all for Kenya's economy is the private sector, which is the engine of inclusive growth, job-creation and long-term prosperity. This has helped create the conditions needed for private enterprises to thrive and so contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction. Kenya has built a strong foundation through a manufacturing sector that is embracing modern technology, scaling up value-added output, and creating nearly a million new jobs a year.

This is critical to absorb Kenya's rapidly rising population, to provide the country's youth with the skills they need to participate fully in the country's future. In doing so, it is also making Kenya more resilient to domestic and external shocks.

The European Union and Kenya have now travelled together on the road to greater prosperity for 40 years. This journey, and our support for Kenya's development goals, is reflected in our new Annual Report (known as the Blue Book) whose theme this year is Investing for Development. Our engagement and partnership with the Government of Kenya has contributed to this country's transformation, boosting the power of the private sector as the key driver of economic growth and structural change. We are proud to have helped Kenya graduate from a poor, low-income country to one with great prospects for even faster economic growth and shared prosperity.

Supporting the private sector and public-private partnerships in these areas improves the lives of the poor and delivers on our promise of sustainable and socially-inclusive economic development.

We also encourage the private sector to get involved in green enterprises in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda for a better world. Our policies and programmes cushion European investors in developing countries against risks, providing for up to 88 billion Euros to be invested this year in African partnerships.

ALSO READ: To heal these rifts, why not try a government of national unity?

BUDDIES

Over the past decade, the European Commission has supplied an average of 350 million Euros a year for private sector development programmes around the world. We are proud of this investment which, together with the development assistance provided directly by the EU's 28 Member States own programmes, makes the European Union the leading player in the transformation of developing countries.

Beyond economics, the European Union and Kenya are natural allies on key international issues such as migration, climate action, security and democracy. Over the past 12 months our relationship has bloomed into a full-blown partnership based on shared values and common interests. Together we are confronting emerging threats and are seeking to make the world a safer and better place for both present and future generations.

Mr Dejak is the European Union Ambassador to Kenya

See the rest here:
European Union: Full-blown partnership with Kenya - The Standard (press release)

This Tiny German Village Will Be the New Center of the EU – Cond Nast Traveler

Last summer's Brexit vote changed the political landscape of Europeand brought with it the possibility of changes to the actual landscape as well. But the latest update to the map will be a small one: a new signpost in a German rapeseed field, now the heart of the European Union.

Sleepy Gadheim is about to be right in the middle of things.

Back in March, on the same day that the British government hand-delivered to the European Union its letter triggering the two-year Brexit countdown, the German town of Gadheim woke up to surprising news. The cartographers at France's Institut Gographique National had determined that, once Britain is gone in April 2019, the geographic center of the new EU will be located on a farm outside that tiny Bavarian village. The Institute keeps track of this important matter with a "centroid" calculation: They treat the EU map like a flat sheet of cardboard (one with holes for Switzerland andsoonthe United Kingdom). Then they find the point where you could balance that cardboard on the head of a pin.

The center of Europe is a moving target.

The Institut has been tracking the center point since the European Economic Community formed in 1957. Back then, the center was near historic Besanon, on the French-Swiss border. It moved west into Auvergne when Spain and Portugal joined in 1986, but has gradually drifted east since then, as former Communist bloc countries have joined the club. It moved to the town of Westerngrund in 2013 when Croatia became an EU memberthough it did jump a quarter-mile east when Mayotte, a French possession in the Indian Ocean, joined the EU in 2014.

A bittersweet countdown begins in Bavaria.

Westerngrund is sad to be losing its most prestigious landmark. "We always knew it was a gift lent to us for a limited amount of time," the mayor told The Guardian . The town has built a little park on the spot, with an EU flag on display and a flask that contains a little soil from each member nation. There are 6,000 tourist signatures in the visitor book, and the town is still discussing putting up a sausage stand there before Brexit is finalized in two years' time.

But Westerngrund's loss is Gadheim's gain.

Gadheim is a little village of just 89 people, and falls under the jurisdiction of Jrgen Gtz, the mayor of nearby Veitshoechheim. "We thought it was an April Fool's joke at first," Gtz told the French media . He thinks his home region, with its lovely vineyards and castles, was well worth a visit even before its new geographical distinction. "There's a pretty saying: 'God kissed the Earth only once, and that's where Veitshoechheim is.' Gadheim is a part of that," said the mayor.

Explore the world's oddities every week with Ken Jennings, and check out his book Maphead for more geography trivia.

See original here:
This Tiny German Village Will Be the New Center of the EU - Cond Nast Traveler

The European Union Got Stronger: Global Week Ahead – Zacks.com

This Global Week Ahead started with a foregone conclusion: Emmanuel Macron is the new French president. Imagine the sighs of relief. They must be heard across the European Union, and certainly within the formal office corridors of that institution.

However, it was a sell the news trading event.

Education! That key social variable showed itself as important again. It proved to be the strongest predictor of a vote for Macron. The higher the number of people with a university degree in an area, the stronger the percentage vote for Macron.

This pattern echoes the findings ofother Financial Times analysis. They looked into the predictors of the Leave vote in 2016 Brexit referendum,the 2016 U.S. presidential election and recentDutch elections. In each electoral instance, the less educated made up more of the right wing, anti-establishment voters.

Here is the rest of what happening to the globe this week.

Last week, the House voted to repeal Obamacareand replace it with the American Health Care Act. In the week ahead and beyond, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) will assess the cost and coverage. This a reversal of the order usually undertaken. Also, independent effort in the Senate has begun towards a health care bill. The Senate version will be substantially different than the House bill. Then, the reconciliation fun begins. In short, dont expect this to be done for months and months.

There is a Bank of England (BoE) monetary policy meeting this week. Expect modest changes to the Bank of Englands key macro projections.While U.K. inflation is likely to reach or even exceed +3.0%, still, dont expect the BoE to hike. According to observers, the BoE will retain a bias to hike. But, the committee is not hurried to deliver, given the Brexit tremors.

This week coughs up a key data in Canadas loud housing debate about a bubble. Canada housing starts may be poised for some moderation after they hit the highest level in about five years in March and almost the highest in a decade. The Bank of Nova Scotia write about efforts to cool Ontarios and more specifically southern Ontarios including Torontos housing markets. Policy housing demand restraints may have been timed at the peak pace of demand -- and just as Canadas housing supply is rising to meet the challenges.

Over in Asia, Chinas CPI inflation rate probably is likely to track at +1.0% y/y in April. Their Inflation rate looks very soft on the consumer side. On top of that, mainland Chinese producer price inflation is likely to fall toward zero -- and possibly lower over the second half of 2017. That is a weak level of inflation.

Top Zacks #1 Rank (STRONG BUY) Stocks

Arcelor Mittal (MT - Free Report) : This is a $24.2 billion market cap stock. The company operates as a major global steel producer. It also has a long-term Zacks VGM score of A.

Roche Holding AG (RHHBY - Free Report) : With a French election complete, lets talk about French large caps. This is a $233 billion market cap stock, with a base of operations in France. It is a pharma stock, and one with a nice long-term Zacks VGM score of B.

Cummins (CMI - Free Report) : You dont hear much about the success of this small internal combustion engine company. But this $26 billion market cap stock was lit up with a Zacks #1 Rank on May 5th. The stock also has a long-term Zacks VGM score of B.

Key Global Macro

Ho hum. Back to macro data after an exciting French election last week!

German factory orders, industrial production and trade for March will lead up to Q1 German GDP growth. The latter is out on Friday. French trade, industrial production and Q1 nonfarm payrolls also come out.

In top of that, we will tap into U.K. industrial output and trade figures, Italian retail sales and industrial output.

The Eurozone sum of its member countries on industrial output will also be made available.

Eight U.S. Fed voting members will be speaking 10 times, all over the country and in India this week.

On Monday, Canadas housing starts came in at 214K, below the 220K number expected. Note: There is a housing bubble going on in some urban areas up there.

The Feds Bullard speaks in Florida and Mester speaks in Chicago.

On Tuesday, German industrial production should be growing +2.5% y/y.

The U.S. NFIB Small Business Optimism index comes out. It has been spiking up.

The forecast is for 103.5 from 104.7 in a prior reading.

The bi-week core CPI in Mexico should be +5.71% from 5.35% y/y. Thats a concern.

The Feds Kashkari speaks in Minneapolis, Rosengren in NY, and Kaplan in Dallas.

On Wednesday, same store retail sales in Mexico are holding up at 3.2% y/y.

Industrial Production in France could be down -0.5% y/y, whereas in Italy, it is up +1.9% y/y. Lets hope the new French President can change sentiment there.

Mario Draghi speaks to the Dutch Parliament, and in Frankfurt.

Industrial production in the U.K. is strong, at +2.8% y/y.

The unemployment rate in Greece is now 23.5%. Its a big problem.

On Thursday, interestingly, the Feds Dudley speaks in Mumbai, India

The BoE Monetary Policy Committee meets and issues a rate decision. 0.25% is the base rate, and it is not forecast to change.

U.S. initial claims for the week come out.

On Friday, the core German inflation rate, the HICP (harmonized index of consumer price inflation) comes out. The prior reading was +2.0% y/y. In Spain, it is +2.6% y/y. The tack above the 2 percent target in Spain is worth noting.

University of Michigan sentiment comes out. The prior was 97.

Read more from the original source:
The European Union Got Stronger: Global Week Ahead - Zacks.com

French Election Highlights a Deep Divide on the European Union – teleSUR English


teleSUR English
French Election Highlights a Deep Divide on the European Union
teleSUR English
Whatever the outcome, Le Pen has shown that nationalist, anti-EU, and anti-globalisation sentiment now widespread across Europe has more traction in France than many had realised. A record number of French voters opted for anti-establishment, ...
Marine Le Pen is Madame Frexit; her victory would shake the European Union to its coreFirstpost
France Chooses a Leader, and Takes a Step Into the UnknownNew York Times
The French presidential election spells trouble for the EU -- whoever winsCNN
Wall Street Journal (subscription) -Washington Post
all 3,643 news articles »

Follow this link:
French Election Highlights a Deep Divide on the European Union - teleSUR English