Will the new president make a difference to Europe?

Herman Van Rompuy, the Belgian Prime Minister has been appointed EU president. 

And the UK’s Baroness Catherine Ashton got the second new post – Foreign Affairs Supremo. 

 The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the appointments were a “milestone for Europe and for its role in the world”.   

Talking Points 7th October

The financial crisis is dominating the topics on this blog and on most-read sites around the world. EU officials say working together is the best way solve the crisis but there is no united leadership for Europe as Germany, Greece and Ireland have already acted unilaterally to protect themselves, Iceland and Russia temporarily stopped trading and Pakistan is nearing bankruptcy. So is it every country for themselves when it comes to money?

Talking Points 2nd September

Goodmorning it’s Karnie with you today..Thank you Nelson in Nigeria and Vanessa & Brett in the US for looking after the blog for us.

A UK academic says we are all inherently racist and that racial tolerance is merely skin deep. John Steiner says he will not tolerate Jamaican neighbours.

Talking Points for 30 July

Thanks Nelson for looking after us last night.

On to some ideas for today’s programme…

World Trade is dead, or at least it has fallen into a deep sleep.

Ireland “No” vote – your best Limerick?

So Ireland has rejected the EU’s Lisbon Treaty. EU Treaties aren’t normally the inspiration for flights of poetry, but can you write a killer Limerick to sum up the moment? Is this a deserved slap in the face for Eurocrats who just don’t listen? Or is it Ireland – which has enjoyed a massive economic boom since joining the EU – that’s just given Europe an undeserved kick in the teeth?

The people decide….

The Spanish got a YES, the Dutch and the French got a NO..and the Irish could also get a NO…

Today Irish voters are going to the polls for a referendum on the European Union reform treaty, the Lisbon Treaty. It replaces the failed EU constitution, which was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005.