About this blog
Welcome to my blog - I'm Charles Reed and I advise the Church of England on foreign policy issues.
This blog covers a variety of topics from US foreign policy to European politics and the Middle East - and whatever else happens to be in the news or catch my attention.
This is a conversational blog so please join in as your comments are an essential part of making the whole thing work.
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Tag Archives: EU
Europe and its Budget – The Need for a New Sapir Report
On Thursday of this week leaders of EU countries hold a two-day summit in Brussels to decide on the Union’s budget for 2014 to 2020, broadly determining how much the EU can spend, what it should be spent on, and … Continue reading
Posted in British Foreign Policy, Europe
Tagged Budget Reform, David Cameron, EU, Europe, Sapir Report
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Breaking up is hard to do
British politics is a funny old business at the best of times, but this week has been particularly odd and we are only just half way through. Monday saw Alex Salmonds, the Scottish First Minister, and David Cameron, the British Prime … Continue reading
Posted in British Foreign Policy, Europe
Tagged Alex Salmonds, David Cameron, EU, EU Referendum, Europe, Scottish Inderpendence, Theresa May
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Europe and the Referendum Jinni
Over the last few days there has been increased speculation about the possibility of a referendum on Britain’s relationship with Europe. This has been fuelled by David Cameron’s piece in the Sunday Telegraph and a corresponding response from Liam Fox. … Continue reading
Posted in Europe
Tagged David Cameron, EU, EU Referendum, Europe, Justice and Home Affairs, Liam Fox
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Debating Europe’s Future
Listen closely to the recent political statements of certain European politicians, not least Chancellor Merkel, and you will realise that the terms of the Euro zone debate have changed significantly in recent weeks. If you are interested in delving beyond … Continue reading
Posted in Europe
Tagged Angela Merkel, David Cameron, EU, Euro zone, Europe, The European Union Bill
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Europe and its future(s)
Ecumenical visits to Helsinki, Finland and then to Novi Saad, Serbia, followed by the debate on the Queen’s Speech has meant there has been little time to blog. There has certainly been no shortage of issues to write about –Chicago … Continue reading
Posted in Ecumenism, Europe
Tagged Afghanistan, Bishop of Guildford, Bishop of Lichfield, Bishop of Wakefield, CEC, EU, European Ecumenism, Greece, International Development, O.7%, Queen's Speech
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Serbia – An Uncertain Future
With Europe still digesting the election results from France and Greece, it’s all too easy to overlook the general and local election results held in Serbia on Sunday. To be fair, I probably wouldn’t have even known that elections had … Continue reading
A Taxing Time for Europe and the Holy Father
Yesterday, in Brussels, the British Chancellor, George Osborne, delayed his flight back to Blighty to berate his European counterparts for becoming bogged down in a pointless debate about an EU wide transaction tax rather than taking practical action to save … Continue reading
Financial Stability and Economic Growth in the EU
With the leaders of the G20 meeting in Cannes, France, against a backdrop of continued confusion and uncertainty in the Eurozone, the House of Lords will today debate the matter of financial stability and economic growth in the EU. The Bishop of Bath … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Uncategorized
Tagged EU, EU 2020, Euro, Euro zone, Europe, European Commission, Financial Stability, G20, Lisbon Strategy, Single Market
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The Euro Crisis and the Birth Pangs of a New Europe
The Euro zone deal agreed in the early hours of this morning might be short on financial details, but there is little doubt as to its political ramifications. Signatories have made clear that they see the Euro as core to … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, The EU, Uncategorized
Tagged Angela Merkel, David Cameron, EU, Euro, Euro Crisis, Europe, European Commission, European Council, Fiscal Union, The European Union Bill
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Photo Essay: Unorthodox Priestly Transport
This week’s photo essay captures a Greek Orthodox priest patrolling on his buggy the front line between police and rioters in central Athens on 29 June prior to the Greek Parliament’s decision to vote through a furher austerity package in order to … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Photo Essay
Tagged David Rothkopf, Debt, EU, Euro zone, Europe, Foreign Policy, Greece
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