The posts are more and more infrequent, even though so much is happening, all day every day and all around the world. So much to say and so little time to say it in ; here is a random selection of all that I think is worth mentioning.
Schengen has grown !! At 00.01 on the 21st of decembre nine new countries joined, eight of Eastern Europe. Schengen is now a vast zone where 404 million people can travel freely without having to cross borders as they ain't any. Now we, in Paris, have a border with Russia and the Ukraine and it is possible to go from Lisbonne to Talinn without a passport. Incredible or what ? Britain, of course stays out of Schengen, undoubtedly fearing the hordes of AIDS ridden commies who would come over to eat their kids (on holiday). Still, 24 countries are now part of the Schengen area so see you all, passportless, in Gdansk !
Gordon, Gordon! what the hell do you think you are doing ? Talk about complete lack of diplomatic skills, lack of credibility skills, lack of popularity skills, lack of skill full stop in fact.
On December 13th 26 EU countries' leaders met in Lisbon to sign the Lisbon treaty (see previous posts). The LT will clean up the way the EU is run, making it more efficient both internally and on the world scene. Love it or hate it, one has to admit that getting the 27 to agree on it has been an incredible feat, and credit goes to the Portuguese and German presidencies of the EU, and to a certain extent Tsarkozy. So when the time comes to sign it, there is of course a certain amount of ceremony and pomp and champagne in Lisbon. Even the ghastly polish president, anti - Europe and mad, was there to sign and sip the Champers. France was represented by no less than four people : Tsarkozy, PM Fillon, Foreign Affairs Kouchner, and EU secretary of state In fact everyone was there, except for, yup, Gordon Brown who thought it a better idea to go to some dire meeting of a commitee in the House of Commons rather than turn up for the greatest European event of the century. As a result, he has lost all credibility with everyone. The EUphiles wept from frustration as Miliband signed in his place and the EUphobes guffawed with disgust as Gordon crept into the empty hall hours after the party was over to sign the treaty anyway. What the hell was he thinking ?
A glass of Chablis, at the sumptuous Parisian Hotel Meurice, costs 16 euros. The nibbles are terrific though.
Wednesday night, a small & cosy bar/restaurant/theater in the 20th called the Ogresse. The play : Tiffany Memory, starring Chucky Nylon. The food : Confit de canard with apples and potatoes, with pollen and honey. The red wine : not very nice. We troop downstairs in to the basement, where the lights and speakers are hanging from the plumbing and what seems to be the building's central heating. Very dark and small, the stage is an open space in front of us. Tiffany Memory, aka Alexandra, is wearing a low cut dress in black and looking like a 1950s cabaret hooker. Chucky, aka the other one, is wearing skinny black jean, a knitted black t-shirt and killer red high heels. He sings depressed glam rock, she talks in a sulfurous low voice. They ask us to miaow, and to cum loudly and we do. And we have no idea what they are on about but the music is cool - Chucky is like a young David Bowie; has peacock feathers in his hair - and Alex is scorching hot. Check it out here.
vendredi 21 décembre 2007
jeudi 6 décembre 2007
So here we are interviewing Commissionner Almunia
One of the perks of the job is that I can get close to the ruling class of the EU. This happens via email or phone, but also physically as they file through the office or the EU Commission representation we have next door for interviews.
But it's not seeing them that is exciting, it's getting answers straight from the horse's mouth on subjects that are controversial or seem obscure.
This morning I got a reply to the email sent the other day to EU Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, who's in charge of economic and monetary affairs, requesting an email interview. I had sent a bunch of questions on Cyprus and Malta joining the euro as well as a couple more on the euro in general. Here is such a question (in English and French) with his answer (also in English and French).
Q : "Many citizens in the EU associate their country's joining the euro with a raise in prices and a fall in their purchasing power. What do you say to this ?"
Q : "De nombreux citoyens européens associent l'adhésion de leur Etat à la zone euro à une hausse des prix et à une baisse du pouvoir d'achat. Que leur répondez-vous?"
This is his answer.
A : All studies show that the introduction of the euro had a very limited impact on prices, between 0.1 and 0.3 points. It's true that that is not how people perceive it in some countries, but the reality is nevertheless there : at 2%, inflation has never been so low in the countries that use the euro. The same can be said for interest rates, which have allowed many people to buy a house. This discrepancy between real inflation and perceived inflation is down to several factors.
- certain retail outlets profited from the situation when the euro was introduced. It's the case, say, for restaurants, cafés, hair salons and cinemas. This is not to say that all those working in these sectors put up their prices in an abusive fashion when the euro was introduced; there are also other objective reasons that could explain the rise in prices : the increase in the price of agricultural goods, or the increase of the minimum wage, in the countries where there is one.
Even if these services do not have a large influence on the price index – nobody spends half their income at the hairdressers'! – they are however very visible in everyday life and people spend their money on them regularly.
- at the time, many companies brought forward or back the moment when they adjust their prices to coincide with the euro's introduction, which disquieted consumers.
- finally, psychological studies have shown that consumers tend to remember increases in prices rather than decreases. On top of that, people keep as references the prices they remember in national currency. For instance, one remembers the price of coffee or bread in French francs. In this context, as time goes by, the larger the discrepancy between euro prices and old prices seems, even though the old reference prices would have increased by 15 to 20% over the period if national currency were still in circulation. And that's without saying that the prices of bread and coffee have never been the same everywhere…
The truth is that since its creation the euro has brought us price stability. That is an essential element in the preservation of purchasing power. Annual salary rises may not be as high as they were in the 1980s, but, unlike at that period, they are not absorbed by the fluctuations of price levels. It's better to have a rise in salary of 2,5% with 2% inflation, rather that a 5% salary increase with 6% inflation, even if it takes the consumer a while to realise this !
R : Toutes les enquêtes montrent que l'introduction de l'euro a eu un impact assez marginal sur les prix, compris entre 0.1 et 0.3 point. S'il est vrai que la perception dans certains pays est différente, la réalité n'en est pas moins là: à 2% en moyenne, jamais l'inflation n'a été aussi basse dans les pays qui partagent l'euro. On peut dire la même chose des taux d'intérêt, qui ont permis pour beaucoup l'achat d'une maison. Ce décalage entre inflation réelle et perçue est dû à une conjugaison de facteurs :
- il y a eu des abus dans les services de proximité au moment du passage à l'euro. C'est le cas par exemple pour les restaurants, les cafés, les coiffeurs, les cinémas. Je ne dis pas que tous les membres de ces professions ont utilisé le passage à l'euro pour augmenter abusivement les prix. Il y a aussi des raisons objectives qui peuvent expliquer certaines hausses, comme la hausse du coût des produits alimentaires ou l'augmentation du salaire minimum là où il existe. Quoiqu'il en soit et même si ces services ne pèsent pas lourd dans l'indice des prix - personne ne dépense la moitié de son salaire chez le coiffeur! – ils sont très visibles dans la vie quotidienne et donnent lieu à des dépenses récurrentes;
- à l'époque, beaucoup d'entreprises ont aussi eu tendance à avancer ou reculer leur adaptation des prix de manière à coïncider avec l'introduction de l'euro, ce qui a perturbé le consommateur;
- enfin, les études psychologiques montrent que les consommateurs - vous et moi – se souviennent davantage des hausses de prix que des baisses. S'y ajoute un élément qui explique assez largement le phénomène: les gens conservent à l'esprit leurs anciennes références de prix en monnaie nationale. On se rappelle le prix de la baguette ou du café en francs français, par exemple. Dans ce contexte, plus le temps passe et plus le prix en euro parait élevé alors que la base de comparaison aurait normalement crû de 15 à 20% sur la période si la monnaie nationale avait toujours été en circulation. Sans parler du fait que le prix de la baguette et du café n'était, et n'est toujours pas, le même partout…
La réalité, c'est que l'euro nous a apporté depuis sa création la stabilité des prix.. C'est un élément essentiel à la préservation du pouvoir d'achat. Les hausses annuelles de salaire sont certes moins importantes que dans les années 80, mais à la différence de cette période, elles ne sont plus absorbées par la valse des étiquettes. Mieux vaut une hausse de salaire de 2.5% avec une inflation à 2% qu'une hausse de salaire de 5% avec une inflation à 6%, même si le consommateur peut mettre un certain temps à s'en rendre compte !
But it's not seeing them that is exciting, it's getting answers straight from the horse's mouth on subjects that are controversial or seem obscure.
This morning I got a reply to the email sent the other day to EU Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, who's in charge of economic and monetary affairs, requesting an email interview. I had sent a bunch of questions on Cyprus and Malta joining the euro as well as a couple more on the euro in general. Here is such a question (in English and French) with his answer (also in English and French).
Q : "Many citizens in the EU associate their country's joining the euro with a raise in prices and a fall in their purchasing power. What do you say to this ?"
Q : "De nombreux citoyens européens associent l'adhésion de leur Etat à la zone euro à une hausse des prix et à une baisse du pouvoir d'achat. Que leur répondez-vous?"
This is his answer.
A : All studies show that the introduction of the euro had a very limited impact on prices, between 0.1 and 0.3 points. It's true that that is not how people perceive it in some countries, but the reality is nevertheless there : at 2%, inflation has never been so low in the countries that use the euro. The same can be said for interest rates, which have allowed many people to buy a house. This discrepancy between real inflation and perceived inflation is down to several factors.
- certain retail outlets profited from the situation when the euro was introduced. It's the case, say, for restaurants, cafés, hair salons and cinemas. This is not to say that all those working in these sectors put up their prices in an abusive fashion when the euro was introduced; there are also other objective reasons that could explain the rise in prices : the increase in the price of agricultural goods, or the increase of the minimum wage, in the countries where there is one.
Even if these services do not have a large influence on the price index – nobody spends half their income at the hairdressers'! – they are however very visible in everyday life and people spend their money on them regularly.
- at the time, many companies brought forward or back the moment when they adjust their prices to coincide with the euro's introduction, which disquieted consumers.
- finally, psychological studies have shown that consumers tend to remember increases in prices rather than decreases. On top of that, people keep as references the prices they remember in national currency. For instance, one remembers the price of coffee or bread in French francs. In this context, as time goes by, the larger the discrepancy between euro prices and old prices seems, even though the old reference prices would have increased by 15 to 20% over the period if national currency were still in circulation. And that's without saying that the prices of bread and coffee have never been the same everywhere…
The truth is that since its creation the euro has brought us price stability. That is an essential element in the preservation of purchasing power. Annual salary rises may not be as high as they were in the 1980s, but, unlike at that period, they are not absorbed by the fluctuations of price levels. It's better to have a rise in salary of 2,5% with 2% inflation, rather that a 5% salary increase with 6% inflation, even if it takes the consumer a while to realise this !
R : Toutes les enquêtes montrent que l'introduction de l'euro a eu un impact assez marginal sur les prix, compris entre 0.1 et 0.3 point. S'il est vrai que la perception dans certains pays est différente, la réalité n'en est pas moins là: à 2% en moyenne, jamais l'inflation n'a été aussi basse dans les pays qui partagent l'euro. On peut dire la même chose des taux d'intérêt, qui ont permis pour beaucoup l'achat d'une maison. Ce décalage entre inflation réelle et perçue est dû à une conjugaison de facteurs :
- il y a eu des abus dans les services de proximité au moment du passage à l'euro. C'est le cas par exemple pour les restaurants, les cafés, les coiffeurs, les cinémas. Je ne dis pas que tous les membres de ces professions ont utilisé le passage à l'euro pour augmenter abusivement les prix. Il y a aussi des raisons objectives qui peuvent expliquer certaines hausses, comme la hausse du coût des produits alimentaires ou l'augmentation du salaire minimum là où il existe. Quoiqu'il en soit et même si ces services ne pèsent pas lourd dans l'indice des prix - personne ne dépense la moitié de son salaire chez le coiffeur! – ils sont très visibles dans la vie quotidienne et donnent lieu à des dépenses récurrentes;
- à l'époque, beaucoup d'entreprises ont aussi eu tendance à avancer ou reculer leur adaptation des prix de manière à coïncider avec l'introduction de l'euro, ce qui a perturbé le consommateur;
- enfin, les études psychologiques montrent que les consommateurs - vous et moi – se souviennent davantage des hausses de prix que des baisses. S'y ajoute un élément qui explique assez largement le phénomène: les gens conservent à l'esprit leurs anciennes références de prix en monnaie nationale. On se rappelle le prix de la baguette ou du café en francs français, par exemple. Dans ce contexte, plus le temps passe et plus le prix en euro parait élevé alors que la base de comparaison aurait normalement crû de 15 à 20% sur la période si la monnaie nationale avait toujours été en circulation. Sans parler du fait que le prix de la baguette et du café n'était, et n'est toujours pas, le même partout…
La réalité, c'est que l'euro nous a apporté depuis sa création la stabilité des prix.. C'est un élément essentiel à la préservation du pouvoir d'achat. Les hausses annuelles de salaire sont certes moins importantes que dans les années 80, mais à la différence de cette période, elles ne sont plus absorbées par la valse des étiquettes. Mieux vaut une hausse de salaire de 2.5% avec une inflation à 2% qu'une hausse de salaire de 5% avec une inflation à 6%, même si le consommateur peut mettre un certain temps à s'en rendre compte !
mardi 4 décembre 2007
So here we are weekending in London
So here we are weekending in London.
Ahead : a birthday, a lunch and some fun.
We glide in to St Pancras, all bricks, steel and glass
The train is amazing - took two hours and a half!
A bronze John Betjeman greets the Eurostar
A few feet away from a sleek champagne bar
We wander throught estates, quiet and bare,
Through parks and then Camden, down to Russel square.
After the red line we stop for haddock & chips,
While our neighbours gorge on Mediterranean dips.
We go to Fortnum & Mason's department store
And buy lots of tea, and leave quickly before
Stocking up on books (three for two).
We walk and try to take a tube
(Sadly for us the Bakerloo line's screwed).
A walk to Oxford Circus, and not a car in sight.
Xmas music is blaring - they're hanging up the lights :
Coloured glass bubbles are hanging up high
Bright fireworks light up the sky.
A tube ride to Essex, with dozing Saturday workers,
We arrive in Gant's Hill : headscarves and burkas,
Betting and kosher shops, and Indian takeaway,
Welcome to London, Warsaw, Bombay.
Our hotel is on Park Avenue
And has a pub for principal view.
Bare, clean and basic, 45 a night
With breakfast included - for London's that's alright!
Aunt Pat's 70th is in the Guildhall,
Attached to the church of Peter and Paul
With a bar as the Irish Catholics have thirst.
(We wandered into the Indian disco first).
A large hall full of Pat's family and friends,
Long buffet tables with balloons on the ends,
Tables laden with red, rosé and white,
At the back there's a stage, gold curtain and disco lights.
Pat's family is there, then my branch arrives :
We sit at a table and chat about our lives,
Tony, Angela, David, Nick, Chris, Ross and Lou
And me and my mum, and Pat's husband - my uncle Stu.
A lovely evening of wine, songs and chatter
And hefty visits to the food platters.
There's music and dancing and my Uncle Stu
Plays ith his band; we sing happy birthday to you.
We totter off at around half past twelve,
Tony, Angela and Ross kindly drive to the hotel.
In the dark streets around Ilford's High Road,
We see African women walk to and fro,
Superbly silked with turbans, looking very grand
Except for the beer cans they have in each hand.
This morning : A bacon bagel around Stu and Pat's.
There are loads of us there, we have breakfast and chat.
Then we are off to Edgware Road and Imelda
And her niece Saro, they're looking so well !
Watercress soup, chicken and tiramisu,
My darling godmother so nice to see you!
Back at St Pancras : happy and late
A quick glass of Champagne to celebrate
A bloody good weekend -
Thanks mum !
Ahead : a birthday, a lunch and some fun.
We glide in to St Pancras, all bricks, steel and glass
The train is amazing - took two hours and a half!
A bronze John Betjeman greets the Eurostar
A few feet away from a sleek champagne bar
We wander throught estates, quiet and bare,
Through parks and then Camden, down to Russel square.
After the red line we stop for haddock & chips,
While our neighbours gorge on Mediterranean dips.
We go to Fortnum & Mason's department store
And buy lots of tea, and leave quickly before
Stocking up on books (three for two).
We walk and try to take a tube
(Sadly for us the Bakerloo line's screwed).
A walk to Oxford Circus, and not a car in sight.
Xmas music is blaring - they're hanging up the lights :
Coloured glass bubbles are hanging up high
Bright fireworks light up the sky.
A tube ride to Essex, with dozing Saturday workers,
We arrive in Gant's Hill : headscarves and burkas,
Betting and kosher shops, and Indian takeaway,
Welcome to London, Warsaw, Bombay.
Our hotel is on Park Avenue
And has a pub for principal view.
Bare, clean and basic, 45 a night
With breakfast included - for London's that's alright!
Aunt Pat's 70th is in the Guildhall,
Attached to the church of Peter and Paul
With a bar as the Irish Catholics have thirst.
(We wandered into the Indian disco first).
A large hall full of Pat's family and friends,
Long buffet tables with balloons on the ends,
Tables laden with red, rosé and white,
At the back there's a stage, gold curtain and disco lights.
Pat's family is there, then my branch arrives :
We sit at a table and chat about our lives,
Tony, Angela, David, Nick, Chris, Ross and Lou
And me and my mum, and Pat's husband - my uncle Stu.
A lovely evening of wine, songs and chatter
And hefty visits to the food platters.
There's music and dancing and my Uncle Stu
Plays ith his band; we sing happy birthday to you.
We totter off at around half past twelve,
Tony, Angela and Ross kindly drive to the hotel.
In the dark streets around Ilford's High Road,
We see African women walk to and fro,
Superbly silked with turbans, looking very grand
Except for the beer cans they have in each hand.
This morning : A bacon bagel around Stu and Pat's.
There are loads of us there, we have breakfast and chat.
Then we are off to Edgware Road and Imelda
And her niece Saro, they're looking so well !
Watercress soup, chicken and tiramisu,
My darling godmother so nice to see you!
Back at St Pancras : happy and late
A quick glass of Champagne to celebrate
A bloody good weekend -
Thanks mum !
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