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McCreevy to save Europe?

The Economist outlines Charlie ‘bundled to Brussels’ McCreevy’s plan for simplifying financial services in the EU.

The former Irish finance minister, now the EU’s internal-market commissioner, is regarded as both a sensible champion of capitalism and a bureaucrat who has slowed the march towards a single market. But he is also seen as an enforcer who roughs up member states that don’t toe his line—pity his spokesman, who says, only half in jest, that Mr McCreevy wants to make him the least popular man in Brussels.

The sensible McCreevy is likely to be on display in a new financial-services plan for the next five years, due to be laid out by the European Commission on December 5th. The “White Paper” is sparing in its new proposals—a relief to financial firms groaning under a glut of past initiatives from the Brussels rule factory. In return, McCreevy the enforcer has undertaken to see through the huge volume of reforms already on the books. Being frugal with the new rules helps him to be adamant about the old.

Simplifying things can only be a good thing, can’t it?

A ghost that won't go away

The Economist has an unusually rambling article on the current Irish political situation concerning Sinn Fein/IRA. I guess given its brevity it couldn’t do much more than what it does: outline the current situation on who will or will not go into government with Sinn Fein. I did like this bit though:

Why—given that its IRA allies are supposed to have given up their arsenal and renounced violence—is Sinn Fein considered so untouchable? Mainly because of its wacky economic policies, and the sense that even a dash of Sinn Fein influence in high places would ruin Ireland’s image as a nimble player of the globalisation game. Sinn Fein favours higher taxes all round: on income, on capital, on the banks and on the corporate sector. It is deeply hostile to the European Union—a view that finds little sympathy in the Irish establishment. In the words of Mr Ahern himself, Sinn Fein is an “agent of poverty and disadvantage”.

They are pretty wacky alright, they could seriously damage the economy.

Curious that Harney is hedging her bets and saying she would be just as happy with Fine Gael as Fianna Fail. In other words the PDs will whore themselves with anyone as long as it means power.

Ideas for the blog

I have been thinking about how to approach adding new content to the blog – I guess I have shortlisted in my mind a number of ideas.

Firstly, digests. A weekly Economist digest, with the best of its content (in my opinion anyway), with other periodical digests such as the Atlantic or FP, or indeed FA. Daily ones would be more time consuming and perhaps less beneficial to readers. But maybe a look at some of the comment sections in some of the papers.

Secondly, a podcast. I have oft threatened to start an audioblog, back in the day before ‘podcasting’ was coined, but never bothered my ass. I was thinking of a weekly discussion, perhaps 30 minutes, on either a given topic, or a selection of topics. All I need is the equipment. I would always try and have more than just me speaking, I sound incredibly boring.

Thirdly, a weekly column. I know that sounds weird given my ability to publish anything I like at any time. But I think setting oneself a target of a 1000 word rant column, is worthwhile. I never did congratulate Red Mum on her success in getting her own column.

What I should concentrate on I don’t know.

DL on top blogs

DL tries to compile a list of the top Irish blogs on the basis of inlinks via Technorati. A difficult task given Technorati’s increasing unreliability. I do note that Donncha is missing from the list, I do envy his rather stratospheric inlink status.

As Frank notes, I do remember that a few more link to me than Technorati seems to recognise, but then no one, especially not Technorati, is perfect.

On readership

As a blogger I have developed an unhealthy preoccupation with analysing readership. I don’t generally let it affect my output, but I do like looking at how people come here, where they are from, and assorted other statistical information.

One thing has stood out in recent months with regard to visitors to this blog. I am not sure if the same trend is being repeated for other blogs out there.

Since the beginning of the autumn I have noticed that a higher percentage of my readers are Irish. Based on comments alone my readership is almost exclusively Irish, but based on web stats, my Irish readership has grown – especially during office hours – from miserly low percentages like 2 or 3%, to significant portions of 20-25%. Getting later into the evening the US eastern seaboard kicks in and the huge majority of readers between about 9pm and 1am are from there.

I could put this down to a higher awareness of blogs in Ireland, or the growth in the number of Irish blogs – bloggers tend to read other people’s blogs. But I wonder is it a trend that is being seen by other Irish blogs. The visitors have certainly changed in the last 42 months.

Kissinger on Merkel

Henry Kissinger will be delighted to learn of Angela Merkel’s swearing in as Germany’s first woman Prime Minister. He writes of her in the IHT:

With her systematic scientist’s approach, Merkel will avoid choosing between Atlanticism and Europe or confusing sentimental moves toward Russia with grand strategy. Matter-of-fact, serious and thoughtful, she will strive to be a partner for a set of relationships appropriate to the new international order – one that refuses to choose between France and the United States but rather establishes a framework embracing both.

She will defend her perception of German interests, and the fate of her domestic adversaries shows just how formidable an opponent she can be. But these interests will be defined in terms of a vision of the future rather than the ideological combat of decades past.


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