The European Union’s democratic deficit
In the last decade a fierce debate has dominated the academic field concerning the European Union whether the distance between Brussels and the people has widened to an unacceptable extend. Some prominent scholars have argued that the EU is not characterised by such a democratic deficit. Nevertheless, after the 2005 referenda rejections by Dutch and … Continue reading
The European Union; military, civilian or pseudo power?
In order to analyse the European Union’s role in the international sphere one has to take into account the kind of world order that exists. In The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, Paul Kennedy claims the real strength of a world power can only be measured looking at its competitors. It now seems … Continue reading
Why Belgium turned extremist
The recent political analyses about Belgium have caused some serious irritation from my part. It strikes me how – especially foreign correspondents and even bloggers – try to simplify the recent Flemish – Walloon tensions in order to explain the situation to their readers. I must admit that the Belgian case is a very difficult … Continue reading
The globalized media
My first post on this blog, a few weeks ago, discussed the importance of the Media in our society. I ended with a short note referring to the opportunities of the so called ‘new media’: the internet and it’s web sharing evolutions. These opportunities are not only endless, but also of growing importance. In the … Continue reading
Internationalism is the way to go
Many of the twenty-first century security threats require a team of nations to work together and therefore the United States can not lead as the unchallenged hegemon who claims their leadership is beneficial to everyone. This leadership will have to evolve in a ‘team leadership’, allowing not only the European countries to have a say … Continue reading
Where is the change Obama promised?
When President Obama got elected many amongst us were persuaded that US foreign policy would undergo a dramatic shift. One year later, it is rather surprising how little fundamental change has been realised. The tone might be different, but there is a clear continuity in the policy. Consider a couple of major cases. The Russians … Continue reading
A democratic watchdog
The media fulfil the role of watchdog in a democratic society. They must inform the people about what is happening in their country, the successes and excesses, the good and bad. The press takes the pulse of public opinion and reports on political, economic, legal, social and cultural matters. It promotes a critical view of … Continue reading
International Relations 