A few days ago, Lord Smith of Kelvin presented the report which had been appointed to him after the historic referendum held on September 18 in Scotland. Just over 52% of the Scottish population voted against independence, but they did so after the commitment to increase the level of self-government of the Scottish Parliament was announced, assumed by the three main UK parties. The report of the Smith Commission aims to respond to that promise and is signed by the five main Scottish parties: nationalists, Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Greens. Its content should not sound too new to any Spanish reader and, in many respects, it stays far from the powers already assumed by our Autonomous Communities.
The social and demographic changes taking place in society today are shifting the requirements demanded from public health-care systems. The ageing of the population and the development of the prototype of predominant diseases, from acute to chronic, require systems to adapt in order to continue providing adequate and efficient medical care while attempting to keep their sustainability.
José María Aznar and Sebastián Piñera have written an open letter in defense of the freedom and the rights of all Venezuelan Democrats. Aznar and Piñera have signed this letter after learning that the Venezuelan opposition leader, María Corina Machado, will be taken to court accused of 'conspiring to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro'. They have also denounced the illegal detention of Leopoldo López, another opposition leader, and the constant political and legal pressure exerted on all the Venezuelan opposition.
Walking Next to the Wall (www.walkingnexttothewall.com), is the title of a documentary that is currently being released in several universities and cultural centres in Spain. It has been shot in several cities and towns of Egypt and is a true portrayal of a minority (10 million people) with weight in the Middle East: the Coptic Christians who, from the first century, live in a country that is crucial in the region.
As already mentioned, the external sector of the Spanish economy has recovered during the crisis, but unlike what happened in previous crises, in this case it has not been the result of competitive devaluations undertaken by the Government. The competitiveness gains observed are due other factors, including the positive behaviour of labour productivity.
La vulnerabilidad de un país se deriva de la existencia de una amenaza real y de la adecuación de la seguridad y defensa nacional para disuadirla o eliminarla. Con esta ecuación en la mano, España es, un año después de los atentados del 11-M, más vulnerable, posiblemente más vulnerable que nunca antes. La amenaza persiste y la defensa nacional ha empeorado para hacerle frente.
La Política de Cohesión financiada desde el presupuesto comunitario es beneficiosa para todos los países de la Unión. Permite, por un lado, a medio y largo plazo, un proceso de convergencia real de los países y regiones más pobres, aunque supone también importantes ventajas competitivas para los más ricos. Sin embargo, si las políticas regionales no van acompañadas de las reformas estructurales necesarias corren el riesgo de pretender hacer de la subvención la principal fuente de renta de amplias capas extensas de población con carácter permanente, pervirtiendo así la naturaleza y objetivo de los fondos.
Desde su inicio, la Unión Europea ha adoptado sus decisiones por consenso y respetando el equilibrio de los intereses de todos. Este afán se plasma en un sistema político-institucional sui generis en el que los Tratados atribuyen el poder legislativo, judicial y ejecutivo entre las diversas instituciones comunitarias. Dentro del entramado institucional comunitario, el Consejo desempeña un papel fundamental, puesto que es co-legislador y autoridad presupuestaria junto con el Parlamento Europeo. Además, el Consejo está llamado a ejercer un papel cada vez mayor en la definición de la política exterior de la Unión Europea y realiza una labor fundamental en la preparación de las reuniones del Consejo Europeo, verdadero vértice político de la Unión Europea. La forma en que el Consejo adopta sus decisiones está también diseñada para conseguir el consenso y mantener el equilibrio de poderes. Hasta ahora, el Consejo ha adoptado sus decisiones mediante el denominado sistema de voto ponderado.
12.10.2014. A few days ago, Lord Smith of Kelvin presented the report which had been appointed to him after the historic referendum held on September 18 in Scotland. Just over 52% of the Scottish population voted against independence, but they did so after the commitment to increase the level of self-government of the Scottish Parliament was announced, assumed by the three main UK parties. The report of the Smith Commission aims to respond to that promise and is signed by the five main Scottish parties: nationalists, Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Greens. Its content should not sound too new to any Spanish reader and, in many respects, it stays far from the powers already assumed by our Autonomous Communities.
12.09.2014. The social and demographic changes taking place in society today are shifting the requirements demanded from public health-care systems. The ageing of the population and the development of the prototype of predominant diseases, from acute to chronic, require systems to adapt in order to continue providing adequate and efficient medical care while attempting to keep their sustainability.
12.05.2014. José María Aznar and Sebastián Piñera have written an open letter in defense of the freedom and the rights of all Venezuelan Democrats. Aznar and Piñera have signed this letter after learning that the Venezuelan opposition leader, María Corina Machado, will be taken to court accused of 'conspiring to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro'. They have also denounced the illegal detention of Leopoldo López, another opposition leader, and the constant political and legal pressure exerted on all the Venezuelan opposition.
11.18.2014. Walking Next to the Wall (www.walkingnexttothewall.com), is the title of a documentary that is currently being released in several universities and cultural centres in Spain. It has been shot in several cities and towns of Egypt and is a true portrayal of a minority (10 million people) with weight in the Middle East: the Coptic Christians who, from the first century, live in a country that is crucial in the region.
11.17.2014. As already mentioned, the external sector of the Spanish economy has recovered during the crisis, but unlike what happened in previous crises, in this case it has not been the result of competitive devaluations undertaken by the Government. The competitiveness gains observed are due other factors, including the positive behaviour of labour productivity.
05.01.2005. La vulnerabilidad de un país se deriva de la existencia de una amenaza real y de la adecuación de la seguridad y defensa nacional para disuadirla o eliminarla. Con esta ecuación en la mano, España es, un año después de los atentados del 11-M, más vulnerable, posiblemente más vulnerable que nunca antes. La amenaza persiste y la defensa nacional ha empeorado para hacerle frente.
04.01.2005. La Política de Cohesión financiada desde el presupuesto comunitario es beneficiosa para todos los países de la Unión. Permite, por un lado, a medio y largo plazo, un proceso de convergencia real de los países y regiones más pobres, aunque supone también importantes ventajas competitivas para los más ricos. Sin embargo, si las políticas regionales no van acompañadas de las reformas estructurales necesarias corren el riesgo de pretender hacer de la subvención la principal fuente de renta de amplias capas extensas de población con carácter permanente, pervirtiendo así la naturaleza y objetivo de los fondos.
06.01.2004. Desde su inicio, la Unión Europea ha adoptado sus decisiones por consenso y respetando el equilibrio de los intereses de todos. Este afán se plasma en un sistema político-institucional sui generis en el que los Tratados atribuyen el poder legislativo, judicial y ejecutivo entre las diversas instituciones comunitarias. Dentro del entramado institucional comunitario, el Consejo desempeña un papel fundamental, puesto que es co-legislador y autoridad presupuestaria junto con el Parlamento Europeo. Además, el Consejo está llamado a ejercer un papel cada vez mayor en la definición de la política exterior de la Unión Europea y realiza una labor fundamental en la preparación de las reuniones del Consejo Europeo, verdadero vértice político de la Unión Europea. La forma en que el Con...
