Published in The Independent (February 17th, 2014) The other day I was chatting to an African friend when he asked a question that took me by surprise. “Is […]
Europe / European Union / Politics
The diplomat the world ignores
Published in Standpoint (September 25th, 2013) It was like an assignation in a spy thriller. A helicopter picked up the middle-aged woman in the early hours and flew […]
Europe / Politics / Russia
Forget diplomacy: this was the stroppy summit
Published in The Mail on Sunday (September 8th, 2013) Welcome to the stroppy summit. Held in one of Europe’s most spectacular cities, it was designed to discuss the […]
Europe / European Union / Greece
Orphans of the Greek meltdown
Published in The Mail on Sunday (June 23rd, 2013) Laughing children play in a pine-scented courtyard on a warm summer’s evening. Excitement rises to fever pitch as a creamy […]
Europe / European Union / Politics
The real meaning of the PM’s speech on Europe
Published on ConservativeHome (January 23rd, 2013) This is my annotated take on David Cameron’s keynote speech on Europe, given after much delay at Bloomberg. My notes are in […]
Europe / European Union / Politics
Sensible rebellion on Europe, for all the wrong reasons
Published in The Financial Times (November 2, 2012) From the start of his leadership, David Cameron urged his party to stop banging on about Europe. It alienated voters, he […]
Europe / France
President Bling-Bling has met his Waterloo
Published in The Daily Mail (May 7th, 2012) So the French have got their wish: they have evicted the brash, egotistical and hyperactive President Bling-Bling from the Elysee […]
Europe / France
Plodding provincial who stands on brink of the presidency
Published in The Daily Mail (May 4th, 20120) He cut an unlikely figure as he stood in a corridor of the Bercy Omnisports Arena in Paris last Sunday, […]
Europe / France / Politics
When rulers are out of touch, voters fall for extremists’ snake-oil solutions
Published in The Daily Mail (April 24th, 2012) However you cut it, Sunday’s presidential election in France was a profoundly depressing result: not just for the French, but […]
Europe / France
Sarko is heading for the guillotine
Published in The Daily Mail (April 20th, 2012) The rally bore all the hallmarks of a president on a triumphant home run back to the Elysee Palace: the […]