Author Archive: Soeren Kern

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Eurofighter Program Saved by Compromise Deal
By September 8, 2009 Read More →

Eurofighter Program Saved by Compromise Deal

The four nations involved in the Eurofighter Typhoon military aircraft consortium signed a long-awaited contract to buy more of the controversial fighter jets. The breakthrough represents a much-needed financial boost for a program central to European defense cooperation.

Fifty Years of Basque Terrorism
By August 1, 2009 Read More →

Fifty Years of Basque Terrorism

The Spanish government has accused the Basque terrorist group ETA of responsibility for back-to-back bombings last week that killed two people and injured more than 50 others. The bloody attacks came as ETA — short for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, or Basque Fatherland and Freedom — marked the 50th anniversary of its founding.

Is ‘Obamamania’ Waning in Europe?
By July 7, 2009 Read More →

Is ‘Obamamania’ Waning in Europe?

A brief selection of European news stories that typify what seems to be a general trend toward a return to more negative reporting about America, its people and its president.

Spain Steps Back from Universal Jurisdiction
By July 3, 2009 Read More →

Spain Steps Back from Universal Jurisdiction

The Spanish National Criminal Court (Audiencia Nacional) said on June 30  it was scrapping an investigation into a 2002 Israeli Air Force bombing in Gaza that killed a suspected Hamas militant and 14 civilians. The move comes just days after the lower house of the Spanish Parliament voted to limit the scope of a 1985 […]

As Goes the West, So Goes NATO
By July 1, 2009 Read More →

As Goes the West, So Goes NATO

NATO has always been more than just a traditional military alliance because it has always been about more than just traditional military security.

A400M Project Highlights European Defense Paradox
By June 19, 2009 Read More →

A400M Project Highlights European Defense Paradox

  France and Germany have decided to wait another six months before determining the fate of the troubled A400M military transport plane.

Franco-Spanish Sub Dispute Shows Challenges Facing EU Defense Market
By May 28, 2009 Read More →

Franco-Spanish Sub Dispute Shows Challenges Facing EU Defense Market

  As if to illustrate the challenges facing an integrated European defense market, the French naval shipyard DCNS is suing Spain’s leading state-owned shipbuilding firm, Navantia, for allegedly stealing trade secrets relating to the Scorpène submarine project.

Immigration Policy a Casualty of Unemployment in Spain
By May 14, 2009 Read More →

Immigration Policy a Casualty of Unemployment in Spain

As the once-vibrant Spanish economy plunges deeper into recession, the government of Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is struggling to staunch the country’s skyrocketing jobless rate. And among the first casualties is Spain’s famously lenient immigration policy.

Posted in: Spain
NATO Struggles to find Unity of Purpose
By April 4, 2009 Read More →

NATO Struggles to find Unity of Purpose

US President Barack Obama’s debut NATO summit at the Franco-German border on April 3-4 was a triumph of style over substance. Although allies put on a public face of unity, they were unable to agree on any of the major problems facing transatlantic security. As NATO marks its 60th birthday, the Alliance is mired in […]

Europe Is Obama’s First ‘Global Test’
By November 14, 2008 Read More →

Europe Is Obama’s First ‘Global Test’

President-elect Barack Obama is already facing his first global test. It’s not coming from the usual suspects like Iran or North Korea, but from America’s “allies” in Europe.

¿Por qué los votantes irlandeses rechazaron el Tratado de Lisboa?
By June 19, 2008 Read More →

¿Por qué los votantes irlandeses rechazaron el Tratado de Lisboa?

Los votantes irlandeses dicen ‘No’ a las ambiciones de las elites políticas europeas, que desean que todos los 27 Estados Miembros de la Unión Europea ratifiquen el Tratado de Lisboa.

Why Irish Voters Rejected the Lisbon Treaty
By June 15, 2008 Read More →

Why Irish Voters Rejected the Lisbon Treaty

Irish voters said “No” to the superpower ambitions of European political elites, who want all 27 member-states of the European Union to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, which would turn the EU into a bureaucratic superstate.