The Plenary Session in Strasbourg is being characterized by taxes, more precisely by the collection of taxes. It is estimated that the EU countries are losing approximately one trillion euro as a result of tax fraud and tax haven operations. As this number might be difficult to imagine, I can say it’s comparable to the [...]

I do not want to put a damper on a nice atmosphere around the European budget. It is better to have a multiannual perspective than not to have it at all. I would not like to put joyful minister Sikorski in a bad mood either. He is trying to save his own hide since he [...]

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has become hostage to the promise he made during last year’s election campaign. He promised Poles 300 billion zlotys from the next EU budget. To make it all look credible, he did it in a company of Foreign Minister and two Poles playing the most important roles in the EU [...]

Jose Manuel Barroso is a great speaker indeed. Moreover, he is constantly maturing, just like old wine. Yesterday he did not bother with the usual courtesies and instead simply outlined the major dilemma EU is currently facing: together or separately? President of the European Commission pointed out the hypocrisy of several countries (like Finland or [...]

With the beginning of the new political season in Brussels, opinions and signals that came from the European capital cities during the holiday break are being discussed. Among other things the German idea of immediate elaboration of a new treaty as an instrument to fight the crisis and ensure the desired further integration is being [...]

American politicians are trying to guess or predict, according to American doctrines, who may be Mitt Romney as president of the United States. It is not an easy task because the Republican candidate started his contacts with the world by hosting in his family house, in his youth, an Italian student. Then he visited Europe [...]

If the German Finance Minister Schäuble says that the eurozone would survive Greek exit, it means that such scenarios are no longer the domain of journalists and become a task of practical financiers. Wolfgang Schäuble added that he wants Greece to stay in the eurozone but only on the condition that the country will live [...]

Well, it worked. It went just as I predicted yesterday. We have obtained more than what was promised at the beginning, but less than we wanted. The Prime Minister made ​​a good decision, very unified in the EU. It was agreed that the countries from outside the euro zone would also participate in the meetings [...]

The worst that could happen at today’s summit on the fiscal pact, would be either a total success of Poland, or a complete failure. A total success (they invite us, we sign, Sarkozy smiles) would give a reason for fanfare and an evidence of our country’s powerfulness and and its enlightened leadership. But this is [...]

First, let me cite two quotations: I Question: So, is this mythical sum of €80 billion for Poland within the cohesion policy real? Answer: (…) The estimates are correct, but we know that the atmosphere prior to this discussion is simply terrible. Therefore I would caution against promising any sums. II The greatest danger is [...]