Archive
Author: Corporate Marketing
-
FH Podcast: Journalists & Digital #1
May 5, 2011
Today we launch a short series of podcasts “Journalists & Digital” in which we talk to EU affairs reporters about how they use digital tools in their daily work. Using blogs and Twitter (Foursquare is still for fun - as you will hear) has been game changing for journalists. But while the reporters speaking in this series are actively using digital tools, they are still waiting for Brussels to talk back to them on-line. So...
-
Immigration fears stalk Europe
April 27, 2011
Fears of a new wave of immigration are stalking western Europe. The row between France and Italy is symptomatic of the tensions. Today’s meeting between President Sarkozy and Silvio Berlusconi was intended to calm the situation, and an agreement was reached to modify Schengen to allow for “exceptional circumstances”, but France is the clear demandeur that the Schengen agreement must be modified to allow stricter cross-border controls. France argues that it already faces a major crisis. It took tough...
-
Immigration Fears Stalk Europe
April 26, 2011
Fears of a new wave of immigration are stalking western Europe. The row between France and Italy is symptomatic of the tensions. Today’s meeting between President Sarkozy and Silvio Berlusconi was intended to calm the situation, and an agreement was reached to modify Schengen to allow for “exceptional circumstances”, but France is the clear demandeur that the Schengen agreement must be modified to allow stricter cross-border controls. France argues that it already faces a major...
-
A tale of two cities
April 14, 2011
Since my return to Brussels I've been getting a lot of questions about the differences between public affairs in Washington D.C. and how it is practiced here in Europe's capital. My not so groundbreaking conclusion is that while the objective of public affairs may remain the same, the practice of public affairs is shaped by the market's conditions. As such, to kick us off in what I intend (at this stage) to be a series of...
-
Iceland in good company over economic squeeze
April 11, 2011
It looks very much as if Iceland’s obligation to recompense the UK and the Netherlands for reimbursing depositors following the collapse of Landsbanki in 2008 is headed for years of litigation in the EFTA Court – not good news for those hoping for Iceland’s early EU membership. The question is whether the two creditors will allow the issue to be parked while membership negotiations proceed to a happy ending. The Reykjavik government had negotiated much less...
-
Iceland in Good Company Over Economic Squeeze
April 10, 2011
It looks very much as if Iceland’s obligation to recompense the UK and the Netherlands for reimbursing depositors following the collapse of Landsbanki in 2008 is headed for years of litigation in the EFTA Court – not good news for those hoping for Iceland’s early EU membership. The question is whether the two creditors will allow the issue to be parked while membership negotiations proceed to a happy ending. The Reykjavik government had negotiated much...
-
The same broom for the last twenty years
April 8, 2011
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbha4XclSMU] I’m not the only person to have recently returned to FH Brussels. Last night we welcomed back many of those who have made us what we are today at drinks for FH Alumni in our offices. Like any organization that’s been around a while we’ve seen our fair share of colleagues come and go. Yet there’s still a sense of stability around the place. I’ve worked out that our current management team has a...
-
EU Gets its Act Together, but Using Franco-British Capabilities
March 27, 2011
The European Union has hardly covered itself with glory over the Libyan crisis, but as events unfold we may be witnessing a far more effective performance than seemed likely just two weeks ago. One thing has become clear though: hopes of creating a serious EU defence capability for the future have taken a serious knock. The far-reaching scope of UN resolution 1973 was a big surprise, not just to commentators like me but (I suspect...
-
Twitter turns five
March 22, 2011
Last night – at 8:50pm GMT – Twitter turned five years old and it got me thinking. I openly admit to boycotting Twitter when it was launched (echos of protesting “I don’t care what Betty ate for breakfast” spring to mind). But I equally admit to being a convert five years later. Some thoughts on why 1. Twitter can help sort the headlines from the fun stuff, and the urgent news from the background material...
-
Reviewing our MEP digital trends survey: what it means for the PA professional
March 21, 2011
We recently published our 2nd survey on the online habits of Members of the European Parliament, looking at how MEPs use the Internet to communicate with constituents and other interested parties, and to inform themselves on policy matters. A few weeks back we analysed reasons for and consequences of MEPs’ use of social networks and blogging. This time, we’ll look at what the figures mean for the Public Affairs professional operating in Brussels. 1. Content strategy...