BPM- Euro-Americas Zone: January 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Zone 3- Micro Analysis: ‘Hugo Chavez- Venezuela’s Controversial Leader’

Week #100 – Dated Dec. 27th-Jan. 2nd 2009-10’

During the 1980s and 1990s, Venezuela was deteriorating at a rapid pace where its GDP plummeted around 40 percent. In a state of widespread unrest, Chávez then a lieutenant colonel led a military coup in February 1992 against the government.

Although the coup failed and Chávez spent the next two years in prison, his bold defiance catapulted him onto the national political stage and launched his career. Over the years he has survived an attempted coup, a roll back election, a second term in office and after having initially lost a referendum to introduce constitutional change expanding his influence, Chavez later won another vote in 2009 that eliminated term limits barricading his entry in the next elections.
On entering politics Chávez's combative style and straight-talking populist charisma served well in a country marked by pervasive discontent. His fierce indictment of the old political order and his promise of a "revolution" held wide appeal among poor Venezuelans. Unlike the "out of touch" politicians, Chávez projected a sincere concern for those living in poverty which meant around three-quarters of the population.
Chávez's political project, as one analyst notes, has been an eclectic blend of populism, nationalism, militarism, and, socialism, combined with a "Bolivarian" emphasis on South American unity. Chávez’s proponents project him as a popular leader in a system of "Participatory democracy," focused on empowering and mobilizing Venezuelans. Harris Whitbeck a CNN correspondent notes that to his most ardent backers in Venezuela and among the international left, Chávez is a hero driven by humanitarian impulses to redress social injustice and inequality

-- problems long neglected by a traditional political class intent on protecting its own position while denying the masses their rightful share of wealth and meaningful political participation. He is bravely fighting for Latin American solidarity and standing up to the overbearing United States. With charisma and oil dollars, he is seizing an opportunity to correct the power and wealth imbalances that have long defined Venezuelan and hemispheric affairs.
Critics however view Chavez as having despotic tendencies, a most recent exemplar of charismatic, populist leadership that emerged from the severe crises of the past two decades in Latin America. Although opinions differ on whether Chávez's rule should be characterized as authoritarian or democratic, a vast majority agrees that in contrast to his predecessors, Chávez has made the welfare of the Venezuelan poor his top priority. The Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz has noted, "Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez seems to have succeeded in bringing education and health services to the barrios of Caracas, which previously had seen little of the benefits of that country's rich endowment of oil". The renowned political scientist Noam Chomsky has also voiced his interest in Chávez’s policies commenting that many are quite constructive. He also says that the Venezuelan president seems to have the overwhelming support of the people in his country. “He has gone through six closely supervised elections,” a significant observation. Even The Economist has written that "Chávez's brand of revolution has delivered some social gains."
In Venezuela the poor receive free health care and education. Some analysts observe that the opposition's lack of success stems from its past unwillingness even to recognize, let alone devise solutions to, the deep social problems that Chávez has identified. Chávez's government, meanwhile, has undertaken important social programs and launched workers' cooperatives in urban slums. Venezuela's oil wealth too has made massive expenditures possible providing food, education, and medical care to underserved populations, which have undeniably had some effect. Even the Colombian magazine Semana, generally critical of Chávez, named the Venezuelan president "man of the year" for having "modified the political map

of the subcontinent, distributed his oil wealth in every direction, challenged the United States, and gone from being perceived as a tropical clown to the Latin American leader with the greatest political influence."
Arguing the other side Whitbeck notes that to his opponents -- the embattled domestic opposition and many in Washington -- Chávez is a power-hungry dictator who disregards the rule of law and the democratic process. He is on a catastrophic course of extending state control over the economy, militarizing politics, eliminating dissent, cozying up to rogue regimes, and carrying out wrong-headed social programs that will set Venezuela back. He is an authoritarian whose vision and policies have no redeeming qualities and a formidable menace to his own people, his Latin American neighbors, and U.S. interests.
Many argue that the "Chávez is good for the poor" hypothesis is inconsistent with the facts. Francisco Rodríguez notes that Chávez's political success does not stem from the achievements of his social programs or from his effectiveness at redistributing wealth. Rather, through a combination of luck and manipulation of the political system, Chávez has faced elections at times of strong economic growth, and driven by an oil boom bigger than any since the 1970s. Coined as Cháveznomics, the economists Rudiger Dornbusch and Sebastian Edwards have characterized such policies as "the macroeconomics of populism." Populist macroeconomics is invariably characterized by the use of expansionary fiscal and economic policies and an overvalued currency with the intention of accelerating growth and redistribution.
Regardless of whether the conditions of Venezuela's poor have marginally improved or marginally worsened under Chávez, his "Bolivarian Revolution", critics argue, is hardly a sustainable model for Venezuela's or the region's predicament. Its approach is fundamentally clientelistic, perpetuating dependence on state patronage rather than promoting broad-based development. Random land-reform measures and occasional confiscations of private property have had less of an economic than a political and symbolic rationale. Further more Venezuela’s oil dependence is cited by the critics as a trend in striking continuity with previous governments, yet another example of Venezuela's "oil curse" undermining sustainable policy.
In the international front Chavez’s Firebrand comments have colored his persona in the world arena. He is a staunch Cuban ally and has been a vocal supporter of Iran and Palestine against Israel. In September 2006, Chavez’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly, in which he referred to then US President George W Bush as "the devil", was met with applause. In November 2007 Chavez fell out with Spain after a run-in with King Juan Carlos during the final session of Ibero-American summit in Santiago. Last year however, Chavez congratulated Barack Obama on his election victory and has indicated he is ready to "start a process of

rapprochement" with the US.
Chavez's opponents say he has undercut Venezuela's democracy by systematically concentrating power in his own hands. Some of the measures in support of this argument, which Chavez insists are meant only to uphold the laws, include:
- Refusal to renew licenses of dozens of critical radio stations and a television channel. A controversial law punishing journalists for writing ‘harmful’ material has also been introduced.
- Slashed budgets after opposition candidates captured five governorships and Venezuela's two biggest cities in elections.
- Nearly 400 politicians put under investigation for corruption, hence barred from running for office.
Public opinion despite having declined still depicts substantially high support for the controversial Latin American Leader. According to a recent Gallup survey President Hugo Chavez's popularity among Venezuelans has waned in recent years. Less than half of Venezuelans (47%) in August 2009 said they approved of Chavez' job performance however the number is still substantially higher then the 35% who voiced disapproval. Nevertheless the polarity of views both domestically and internationally regarding Hugo Chavez continues to fuel the debate.

Discussion Question:

In your opinion whose case holds’s greater weight, Chavez’s proponents or his critics?

16. http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/57418/kurt-weyland/will-chavez-lose-his-luster
17. http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/63220/francisco-rodr%C3%83%C2%ADguez/an-empty-revolution

_______________________________________________________
Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' The blog development project has been undertaken and jointly developed by the Gilani Research Foundation and BPM as a free resource and social discussion tool.
Please Preview your comments before posting.

Zone 3- Euro-Americas Summary Week #100

Week #100 – Dated Dec. 27th-Jan. 2nd 2009-10’

WESTERN EUROPE
Relatives of a British man executed in China against charges of drug smuggling, have accused Britain of being diplomatically

powerless due to its economic dependence on the Asian giant.
Meanwhile Yemen has welcomed British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's announcement of an international meeting in London (January 28) on combating extremism in the Arabian Peninsula country. Britain is also considering introducing new technology such as full body scanners to improve airport security after the attempted Christmas Day airline attack.
Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen has denied fresh accusations by the Venezuelan government that the Netherlands is supporting U.S. spy flights over its territory.
In the meanwhile Pope Benedict XVI in his speech at the start of the New Year issued an appeal to all armed groups to "stop, reflect and abandon the way of violence". Jan. 1 is also the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace.
SOUTH-EAST EUROPE
Bulgaria says it will send 30 more troops to the NATO-led forces in Afghanistan to join a unit guarding the airport in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. Bulgaria currently has 497 troops in Afghanistan, with 270 of them guarding the Kandahar airport, which has been plagued by insurgent attacks.
Rasim Ljajic the Serbian official in charge of capturing war criminals resigned last week because his team has failed to arrest Ratko Mladic, who allegedly orchestrated the massacre of more than 7,000 Muslims in Bosnia. Meanwhile President Boris Tadic has insisted that authorities are capable of arresting former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic. He added that the resignation of Ljajic is an act of political responsibility.
The opposition Democratic Party of Serbia-New Serbia (DSS-NS) coalition filed a motion with the Constitutional Court last week challenging the constitutionality of the Vojvodina statute. Critics say the statute is a move in the direction of eventual independence for Vojvodina an autonomous Serbian province.
In Macedonia effective on January 1st, smoking in all restaurants and bars in the country has been banned. Meanwhile in Albania five ministries have joined an emergency task force to monitor the situation in the north where following heavy rains the Fierza hydro plant and the Drin River threaten to flood surrounding areas.
In Croatia voters went to the polls on December 27th to elect their next president amid a deepening economic crisis and fears of growing corruption. In the meanwhile about 4,000 people gathered in Zagreb on December 26th to protest the arrest of five former members of a special police unit suspected of committing war crimes against civilians during the 1991-1995 war in Croatia.
Kosovo Parliament adopted its 2010 budget last week without absolute majority. Opposition members walked out, saying they did not have enough time to review some amendments that were presented only a day before the vote.
US/CANADA
The Christmas Day attack on a jetliner over Detroit, combined with technological improvements to protect people's sense of modesty, could lead to dramatically wider use of full-body scanners that can see through travelers' clothing. Dutch officials announced immediate use of the machines at Amsterdam's airport, where the Nigerian accused of trying to blow up the Northwest Airlines plane began his flight. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) already operates 40 of them in U.S. airports, has bought an additional 150 and plans to buy 300 more.
Many Americans predict 2010 will be a better year than the last one, even if they fear that the U.S. economy and their own financial circumstances won't improve. A whopping 82 percent are optimistic about what the New Year will bring for their families, according to the latest AP-GfK poll.
LATIN AMERICA
Hondurans burned life-sized dolls of ousted President Manuel Zelaya and de facto leader Roberto Micheletti in a traditional New Year ritual a small town south of the capital Tegucigalpa. Villagers also set fire to an effigy of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who supported fellow leftist Zelaya and threatened military action.
On the other hand about 200 people gathered outside the Brazilian Embassy to show support for ousted President Zelaya inside while they celebrated New Year's Eve with food and music.
Haitian President Rene Preval pledged a fair legislative process during his Independence Day speech. He however failed to address the issue of disqualification of 15 political groups that has prompted international criticism and opposition threats to try to disrupt the Feb. 28 vote. According to the Economy Minister Amado Boudou Argentina's economy could grow up to 7 percent in 2010 as the worst of the global financial crisis eases
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim announced last week their agreement to launch a new mechanism for strategic dialogue between the two countries. Meanwhile Brazil’s tax collection is expected to rise 11 percent this year with faster economic growth accounting for the increase.
The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists is urging Mexico's government to swiftly investigate the recent murder of a local newspaper owner. Meanwhile on the drug war front in Mexico, increasingly powerful and lethal cartels have raised the level of violence while the government of President Felipe Calderón has escalated the battle against them.
On the economic front according to the Energy Ministry Mexico's projected electricity consumption is to increase by an average of 3.6% per year through 2024, requiring additional capacity of about 27,300 megawatt. Also Mexico City received 10.4 million tourists in 2009 and expects that figure to increase to 14 million this year, helped by events such as free public viewing of World Cup games, according to city officials.
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez scoffed on Wednesday at U.S. magazine Newsweek's predictions that he would be toppled by a military coup and his Cuban mentor Fidel Castro would die in 2010.
Meanwhile Paraguay is the only remaining Mercosur’s full member which still has to vote for Venezuela to join the South American trade block, following last week's Brazilian senate divided approval.
Colombia's President Álvaro Uribe has disavowed any aggressive statement against Venezuela, at a time when the relations between the two countries are going through the worst diplomatic crisis in recent history. Uribe's statements came a day after his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez presided over a military parade in a frontier zone in which he repeated his complaint that an attack on his country is being planned from Colombia, with the support of the United States. Venezuela has further criticized the "attempts of destabilization” allegedly promoted by the United States in Iran, accusations that the US vehemently denies.
On the financial front Venezuelan and Chinese government officials and business leaders met in Caracas last week to discuss bilateral relations. §

________________________________________________________
Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' The blog development project has been undertaken and jointly developed by the Gilani Research Foundation and BPM as a free resource and social discussion tool.
Please Preview your comments before posting.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Zone 3- Micro Analysis: ‘The Copenhagen Climate Summit- a Success or a Debacle?’

Week # 99 – Dated 20th-26th Dec. 09’

United Nations Climate Change Conference Dec 7th- 18th 2009

On the 19th of Dec. 2009, delegates from 192 countries passed a motion at the United Nations Copenhagen Climate Conference bringing the Summit back from the brink of collapse. The motion simply notes a loose deal

aimed at limiting temperature rises to less than 2C, with out any specific binding emissions targets. Delegates agreed to ‘recognize’ the US-brokered deal, which was arranged between five key nations including China, India and Brazil but failed to secure unanimous support. The Copenhagen summit could not conclude negotiations under the Bali Action Plan (BAP) and the Kyoto Protocol, the treaty that is currently in operation to deal with climate change issues. It is now proposed to be completed by the end of 2010.

Initially a row between China and the US, the world’s two largest emitters, effectively paralyzed the summit. The fundamental dispute between the two was over the monitoring of states’ progress on curbing their emissions. While the US pressed for strong independent verification and monitoring of each country’s progress China opposed the notion as infringement of its national sovereignty.

After eight draft texts Barack Obama and Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, were the principle participants to broker the political agreement. The proposed deal quotes ‘recognition’ of the scientific case for limiting emissions to 2C annually, a less ambitious target than the previous 1.5C limit, which was a disappointment for African and other vulnerable countries including low-lying and island nations, fearful of being engulfed by rising sea levels.

Meanwhile the earlier 2050 goal of reducing global CO2 emissions by 80% was also dropped. Scientists say even a 2C limit will require cutting greenhouse gases by at least 50 % by 2050. However a legally-binding target for developed countries was removed in favor of allowing rich countries to set their own targets, with which they will come forward by February. Developing countries have, for the first time, been asked to "take action" to cut emissions.

The US-BASIC deal was brokered following meetings between the US President Barack Obama, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Brazilian President Lula Da Silva and South African President Jacob Zuma, aiming to provide $30bn a year for poor countries to adapt to climate change from next year to 2012, and $100bn a year by 2020.The agreement also set up a forestry deal

aiming to significantly reduce deforestation in return for cash

.

The pact lacking unanimity was primarily opposed by Cuba, Sudan, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Venezuela, Tuvalu and Costa Rica. However Japan, Norway, African nations with the European Union nations came out in support of the proposal. Earlier this week however the European Union sought to shift much of the blame for the outcome of the summit on the US and China, the world's two largest emitters of carbon dioxide. Sweden, the current EU presidency holder, described the Copenhagen agreement as a disaster for the environment, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel was slightly more optimistic, commenting that the accord was something that "now needed to be built upon". UN Secretary Genral Ban Ki-moon also noted that the pact was an important beginning with ‘an immediate operational effect’.

In the aftermath of the conference developed and developing nations have traded blows over who was to blame for the weak deal. On a pessimistic world front one analyst notes that Britain accused China of hijacking the proceedings, while Brazil attacked the perceived lack of commitment shown by Washington. In turn, India harangued Australia for being an "ayatollah of the single track," and small island nations like Tuvalu accused rich nations of blatant disregard for their plight.

Critics warn the ‘Copenhagen Accord’ is full of holes and lacks a timetable. Meanwhile environment agencies have branded the deal ‘toothless and a failure’. The pact has no reference to a legally binding agreement which also lacks any detailed framework on controversial carbon markets. Emerging nations are now to monitor their own efforts on climate change and report to the UN

every two years.

The Proponents of the deal argue that it would at least get the money flowing with the $10bn (£6bn) a year "fast start" funding for the poorest and most vulnerable countries to protect themselves from the impact of drought and floods caused by global warming over the

next three years. By 2020 the world is to "mobilize" $100bn a year through a "Copenhagen Green Climate Fund", which will also help poorer countries halt deforestation and switch to greener technology. The accord has also kept the Kyoto Protocol sacrosanct as future negotiations will be based on its basic principles. It binds the developed countries to take deeper cuts in carbon emissions and provide financial and technical support to the developing countries to enable them to reduce their carbon emissions.

A

meeting of all UN members' climate change negotiators is planned to be held in Bonn in June, and their annual conference is due in Mexico in December. The TIME Magazine notes that, “if Copenhagen was tough, Mexico City (COP16 in December 2010) will be a lot more so, because there, countries will be tasked with filling in details sketched in the Copenhagen Accord” – but, as the toughness of the negotiations only demonstrate that climate policy has moved beyond hot air into economic reality – “It’s going to get harder, and that’s a good thing”.

Discussion Questions:

o Do you think the Copenhagen summit fell short of its potential?

o In your opinion does the global public opinion hold strength to push for more credible commitments in the coming year?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/datablog/2009/dec/07/copenhagen-climate-change-summit-carbon-emissions-data-country-world

Zone 3- Euro-Americas Summary Week # 99

Week # 99 – Dated 20th-26th Dec. 09’

WESTERN EUROPE

In Briton the Iraq Inquiry, which is investigating the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, in an effort to keep proceedings clear of party politics has affirmed that British leader Gordon Brown and other senior ministers wouldn't testify until after the next general election.

Meanwhile on the climate front Yvo de Boer a top U.N. climate official says the 193-nation Copenhagen Global Warming Summit that ended last weekend outlined a way forward for negotiators and succeeded in mobilizing emergency funds for poor nations to prepare for climate change. The last hour limited accord brokered by Obama is being set aside amid acrimony over the failure to reach a legally binding deal.
In Greece President Karolos Papoulias declined his Macedonian counterpart's invitation for a visit last week saying such a trip would be possible only after the name dispute between the two countries was resolved.
Meanwhile on the financial front Greek Parliament began discussions late last week on the country's 2010 budget, aimed at finding a way out of the current financial crisis. While internationally, World stock markets rose amid mounting optimism about the speed of the U.S. economic recovery. In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.9 percent, Germany's DAX rose 0.4 percent and the CAC-40 in France was 0.7 percent higher. Earlier, all major Asian markets rose strongly in the wake of advance on Wall Street.

SOUTH-EAST EUROPE

President Boris Tadic submitted Serbia's EU membership application on Dec. 22nd to authorities in Sweden, the current holder of the rotating EU presidency. Meanwhile in Macedonia Ali Ahmeti, the only candidate for the post, was re-elected last week as leader of the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) a governing (as of 2008) political party in Republic of Macedonia. Ahmeti expressed hope that during Spain's EU presidency, which starts on January 1st, the long-standing name dispute between Macedonia and Greece will be resolved and Macedonia "will finally become a member of NATO and will start talks on full-fledged EU membership."
The Court of BiH convicted two Bosnian Serbs last week for war crimes committed against Bosnian civilians in the Kalinovik area during the 1992-1995 conflict. Also the Court has charged a group of Bosnian Muslims with terrorism and illegal weapons trafficking. According to the indictment, radical Muslim Rijad Rustempasic organized the group to carry out attacks aimed at destabilizing the country. Meanwhile the European Court of Human Rights ruled last week that the constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), created as an annex to the Dayton Peace Agreements, discriminates against minorities.
Croatia's presidential elections are to go to a second round run-off on January 10th as neither of the two leading candidates - opposition Social Democrat contender Ivo Josipovic nor the long-time mayor of Zagreb, Milan Bandic - won more than 50 per cent of the votes in last week’s poll.
Romanian incumbent President Traian Basescu of the Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) has been sworn in to a second term in office (December 21st). Meanwhile Albanian Opposition Socialist Party (SP) leader Edi Rama filed a lawsuit last week against Prime Minister Sali Berisha, accusing him of libel. Rama says Berisha has "repeatedly and publicly offended" him.
Saudi Arabia has established diplomatic relations with Kosovo with Saudi Ambassador to Albania Abdullah Abdulaziz Alabdulkarim handling duties for Kosovo as well. He said his country has great respect for Kosovo and will continue providing economic support.
Meanwhile in Bulgaria an estimated 3,000 tobacco farmers blocked one of the country’s main highways last week (December 21st) to protest subsidy cuts planned for 2010.

US/CANADA

A top U.S. military officer Adm. Mike Mullen has said he does not assume Iran's brief seizure of an Iraqi oil well is part of an orchestrated plan in Tehran to threaten its neighbors. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has also said that any military strike on Iran, whether by Israel or the United States, should be a last resort.

In the US Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill in a climactic Christmas Eve vote that could define President Barack Obama's legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in the country's history. Meanwhile President Barack Obama last week ordered the federal government to rethink how it protects the nation's secrets, in a move that was expected to declassify more than 400 million pages of Cold War-era documents and curb the number of government records hidden from the public.
On the ‘War on Terror’ front President Barack Obama's commitment to close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by next month may be delayed until 2011 because it will take months for the government to buy an Illinois prison and upgrade it to hold suspected terrorists. Meanwhile the State Department's internal watchdog has criticized the agency's nearly $2 billion

anti-drug effort in Afghanistan for poor oversight and lack of a long-term strategy.
In a sharp change of position, the head of Canada's main opposition party has said in an interview that he was not keen on trying to trigger an election next year. The comments by Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff mean it is likely the minority Conservative government -- which needs the support of opposition legislators to stay in power -- will be able to push through its budget early next year.

LATIN AMERICA

An Ecuadorian private television station critical of President Rafael Correa came back on air last week after a three-day suspension that fueled concern among government critics over press freedom in the Andean country. Its license was initially revoked over accusations that it incited violence during protests in October.
Meanwhile Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has threatened to expel Japanese carmaker Toyota unless it produces an all-terrain model of 4x4 vehicles used for public transport in poor and rural areas. Last week Chavez also accused the United States of violating Venezuela's airspace with an unmanned spy plane and ordered his military to be on alert and shoot down any such aircraft. The Pentagon has declined to comment on Chavez's accusations while the Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva and armed forces commander Freddy Padilla have said that a

Colombian aircraft couldn't fly the kind of espionage mission described by Chavez.
The US Ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens has visited deposed President Manuel Zelaya as part of a bid to find a solution to the political crisis gripping the impoverished Central American nation.
Meanwhile Cuba's foreign minister called President Barack Obama an "imperial and arrogant" liar for his conduct at the U.N. climate conference, a reflection of the communist island's increasingly fiery verbal attacks on the U.S. government.§

Monday, January 4, 2010

Zone 3- Micro Analysis- ‘Lisbon Treaty- Streamlining the European Union’

Week # 97, Dated4th – 11th Dec. 09’

The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is a treaty that was signed by the European Union (EU) member states on 13 December 2007, and entered

into force on 1 December 2009. It amends the Treaty on European Union (TEU, Maastricht; 1992) and the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC, Rome; 1957).[1]
Prominent changes included more qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers, increased involvement of the European Parliament in the legislative process through extended co decision with the Council of Ministers, the elimination of the pillar system and the creation of a long-term President of the European Council and a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to present a united position on EU policies. The Treaty also made the Union's human rights charter, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, legally binding. [2]

Under the Lisbon Treaty[3]:

Top jobs
A politician is chosen to be President of the European Council for two and a half years, replacing the current system where presidency is

rotated between member states every six months. Belgian Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy has been chosen by the EU leaders to be the first permanent European Council President.
The post of the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy combines the former

roles of EU Foreign Policy chief and External Affairs Commissioner. The job of foreign affairs supremo has gone to the EU Trade Commissioner, Baroness Catherine Ashton from the UK.
Charter of Fundamental Rights

The Lisbon Treaty makes the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights a legally-binding document. The Charter lists the human rights recognized by the European Union.
Citizens’ Initiative

Under the Lisbon Treaty, the Commission is obliged to consider any proposal signed by at least one million citizens from a number of member states.
National parliaments to get ‘yellow card’ facility
All proposals for EU legislation will have to be sent to national parliaments. If enough national parliaments object to a proposal, the Commission can decide to maintain, amend or withdraw it.
Smaller commission
The European Commission is the EU’s executive arm; it put forwards legislation and ensures that EU policies are correctly implemented.
The 27 commissioners of the EC will be reduced to 18 members from 2014 onwards, with membership rotating every five years, i.e. only two-thirds of member states will have their own commissioner at any one time, and each country will lose its commissioner for five years at a time.
Areas of EU competence

It establishes joint competence in the areas of space and energy. It also gives the EU the role of supporting competence in several new fields including health, education, tourism, energy and sport.
Redistribution of voting weights between member states

Within those areas to be decided by qualified majority voting, the current rules require the support of a little over 72% of member states for a law to be passed. Under the new system due to come into effect from 2014, a vote can be passed if it is backed by 55% of member states, and secondly, if these countries represent 65% of the EU’s population. It can also be passed if less than four countries oppose it. The changes mean that it will be easier to pass legislation, and more difficult to block it. Countries with smaller populations will have less chance of blocking legislation.
Shift from unanimity to majority voting

The Lisbon Treaty will see an increase in the number of policy areas to be decided by a majority vote at the Council, rather than by unanimity. There are some notable exceptions that will still require unanimous decisions, including taxation and defence.

One area where the unanimity veto will give way to qualified majority voting is Justice and Home Affairs, covering issues such as asylum, immigration, criminal law, border controls and police cooperation.
Changes to Common Security and Defence Policy

The Lisbon Treaty provides for the progressive framing of a common defence policy for the European Union, which will nonetheless respect the neutrality of member states. It also allows the European Council to change decision-making from unanimity to majority voting in a number of areas, excluding military and defence. However such changes will themselves require unanimous decisions.

Arguments for and against the Lisbon Treaty: [4]

For
· The Lisbon Treaty clarified the power of the EU and the role of the nation state.
· Changes to Qualified majority voting QMV made the voting system fairer for all members and decision-making more democratic.
· The Treaty safeguards citizens' fundamental rights.
· The EU is more likely to pass legislation, even with twenty-seven or more members.
· With the longer-term presidency, individual nation states are less able to pursue specific interests as the leadership is acting in the interests of EU, giving focus and direction.
Against
· It gives the unelected EU Commission greater say over foreign and home affairs. This challenges the principle that sovereign states should have control over these important policy areas.
·
Nations like the UK are no longer able to use a veto to block future changes in an increasing number of areas, potentially even those in which they have negotiated an opt-out.
· The treaty made the EU an international actor in its own right, separate from, and superior to, it’s Member States. It turns what was an international agreement into something more like a single state.
· Changes did not address the EU's democratic deficit - the Commission remains

answerable solely to the European Council and not directly to any EU citizens, as does the new President.
· The European Court of Justice ECJ gained jurisdiction in a range of areas, including the power to dictate the fundamental rights of all EU citizens, with precedence over long-established national institutions.

For now the pre-existing system, whereby an EU nation assumed the rotating presidency for a six-month period, is being retained. In the new year Spain is to assume the rotating presidency from Sweden. This however does not extend to the EU summits and foreign ministers' meetings, when EU Council president Van Rompuy and foreign policy High Representative Baroness Ashton will be in the chair.

Bibliography/ Related Links:
http://europa.eu/lisbon_treaty/index_en.htm
http://www.civitas.org.uk/eufacts/FSTREAT/TR6.htm
http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/2773
http://eurolinknews.com/2008/04/25/the-lisbon-treaty-for-dummies-25408
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Lisbon
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6901353.stm
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e9a41976-ef35-11de-86c4-00144feab49a.html
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/33278
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8367589.stm
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/archive/c/c9/20091108160404%21Lisbon-ratification.gif
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Lisbon
[2] Ibid
[3] http://eurolinknews.com/2008/04/25/the-lisbon-treaty-for-dummies-25408
[4] http://www.civitas.org.uk/eufacts/FSTREAT/TR6.htm

BPM- Euro-Americas Zone

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Zone 3- Micro Analysis: ‘Hugo Chavez- Venezuela’s Controversial Leader’

Zone 3- Euro-Americas Summary Week #100

Monday, January 11, 2010

Zone 3- Micro Analysis: ‘The Copenhagen Climate Summit- a Success or a Debacle?’

Zone 3- Euro-Americas Summary Week # 99

Monday, January 4, 2010

Zone 3- Micro Analysis- ‘Lisbon Treaty- Streamlining the European Union’

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