Sir, Regarding ‘Socialists, centre-right quibble over eurozone reforms‘: The Swedish prime minister’s arguments against an EU-17 Eurogroup summit are irrelevant at best. The most relevant way to coordinate Ecofin decisions on withstanding the impact of debt contagion demands the holding of an EU-17 summit and policy commitments going forward. Including non-euro members (e.g. the UK, [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Federalists in attempt to upgrade Lisbon Treaty‘: UK Liberal Democrat MEP Andrew Duff’s initiative is most welcome and timely. The right of each and every member state to veto treaty revisions has become intolerable, as demonstrated by the ordeal of Lisbon ratification. As with any international organisation’s charter or federal state’s constitution, revisions [...]

Sir, The EU could – and should – do more to address caste discrimination, one of the world’s most serious human rights problems. Campaigners for Dalit rights recently spoke at a hearing in the European Parliament. They told the audience how hundreds of millions of human beings, in South Asia and elsewhere, are being subjected [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘FTT: The time is now‘: There are two reasons why members of the European Parliament on Tuesday (8 March) should vote ‘yes’ to the report by Greek Socialist MEP Anni Podimata, which makes a balanced case for the feasibility and the implementation of a tax on financial transactions. An FTT would contribute to [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘How many bankrupt companies get a second chance?‘: While it is unfortunate that some companies’ entrepreuneurship may lead to bankruptcy, I have often come across companies who have been able to close down leaving a trail of debt to several creditors (victims) only to re-establish themselves up to three times more as a [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘EU debt talks still ‘a building site’‘: The inter-governmental procedure on the EU debt and competitiveness package is turning into a disastrous quagmire and will probably become a ‘cas d’école’ of inefficient multilateral inter-state bargaining. Several layers of negociations are superimposed: Between France and Germany (on a common ‘non-proposal’). Between ‘liberal’ Eurogroup member [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Oettinger plans energy roadshow amid doubts on EU communication‘: It is commendable that Mr Oettinger is getting into the energy (roadshow) business, with the aim of linking up the companies that will build infrastructure and renewables with those masters of the universe, the European and global finance community. Last week I attended a [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘UK Conservatives in the EPP-ED: Will they stay or go?‘: A couple of points: Your statement that I have “left the EPP to sit as an independent” is open to misinterpretation. I left the EPP’s group, but I continue as a full member of the Conservative delegation, and indeed have been re-selected to [...]

Sir, As a Chinese national, I am all for the Chinese government’s decision to cancel the EU-China summit. When you have a summit with a supposedly “strategic partner”, you expect to receive treatment as such. If the Europeans cannot stop their outrageous way of asking the Chinese for economic cooperation on the one hand but [...]

Sir, Nach dem ‘nein’ der Iren nun der nächste Rückschritt für den Vertrag von Lissabon, diesmal von Großbritannien, was nicht wirklich erstaunt, sind die Briten doch schon seit Jahren ein ‘Problemkind’ der EU und bremsen viele Entscheidungen. Die vollmundige Ankündigung von Tory Chef David Cameron, im Falle eines Wahlsieges ein Referendum abzuhalten, zeigt einmal mehr, [...]