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14 Dec, 4 tweets, 2 min read
Once Greece’s EU accession opposition over use of the name “Macedonia” was resolved, the country still had a problem because Bulgaria objects to the idea that there is a “Macedonian” language.

They say it is a dialect(s) of Bulgarian. But, a breakthrough: ft.com/content/0c7242…
Is Macedonian a language? Linguists are split. As the old saying goes, “a language is a dialect with an army”

But this is going to be a big issue in Western Balkan accession, with concerns over the same language being translated/interpreted multiple times en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political…
The argument is Austrian, Flemish, Luxembourgish or other dialects aren’t registered as official EU languages, so we shouldn’t be registering Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian & Montenegrin all separately. Same for Bulgarian/Macedonian.

Problem is, what do you call the language?
Flemish call the language they speak Dutch, Austrians call the language they speak German.

In the Balkans it’s more complicated and packed with tensions that only recently caused wars. Are some redundant translation costs worth it to keep the peace?

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More from @DaveKeating

Dave Keating Profile picture
14 Dec
EU home affairs commissioner @YlvaJohansson says today’s proposal to revise the Schengen border code is designed to provide countries alternatives to internal EU border checks, for instance through greater police cooperation.

From now on they’ll have to fully justify checks.
Member states will still be able to request 6-month derogations to Schengen rules against internal border checks, says the home affairs commissioner.

But more justification will be needed, and Commission can in theory reject.
Member states would be able to point to the ‘instrumentalisation of migration’ (as happened at 🇵🇱🇧🇾 border) as a reason for introducing internal border checks.

But, VP Schinas clarifies, only if the EU Council has declared such an emergency.
Read 7 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
14 Dec
The European Commission will today propose a revision to the #Schengen Border Code - the system of passport-free travel within the EU.

We can expect some media coverage portraying this as an erosion of free movement. But that's missing the point. A thread (🧵1/7)
It's often been said that the euro currency was only done halfway: monetary union without fiscal union.

The Schengen code, developed at the same time, was also done only halfway: open internal borders without common management of external borders. (🧵2/7)
When people hear Schengen they first and foremost think of passport-free travel within the EU.

But the other part of the agreement, not very well followed through on, was the new common EU external border. (🧵3/7)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_…
Read 7 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
9 Dec
This part of Macron's speech has people talking here

It's often said the euro was set up only halfway, as monetary without fiscal union. Eurogroup was an effort to fix that

Schengen was also set up only halfway. Open internal borders but without EU control over external borders
I beat this analogy to death I know, but imagine if in🇺🇸 the border states were the only ones with authority over national borders.

Would people in New Jersey be comfortable with Arizona being in charge of their border security?

Change that to France & Poland and you've got 🇪🇺
The external borders of the US are run entirely by the federal government. There is constitutionally-guaranteed free movement between US states.

That the external borders are run collectively by all states, not just the border ones, gives everyone confidence to have open travel.
Read 5 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
9 Dec
President Macron speaking now outlining his intentions for France’s presidency of the Council of the EU, which starts 1 January.
Macron says he wants to set up a decision-making body for the Schengen Area like the Eurogroup for the Eurozone.

It would take decisions on emergency actions and Frontex missions at EU borders (a step toward EU external border management).
Macron says the suspension of EU budgetary rules for the pandemic needs to end, and EU states need to get back to convergence.

But “we can’t pretend like nothing’s happened”. Budget rules should be less stringent (a long time French ask).
Read 9 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
9 Dec
#Macron will in a speech today present ambitious plans for the French 🇪🇺 presidency starting 1 Jan that go far beyond the remit of what a presidency is supposed to do, which is only agenda-setting.

Europhiles may like it when its Macron, but they didn't when it was Janša(🧵1/10)
Though they're often referred to as the "rotating EU presidency" these 6-month stints are actually just the presidency of the Council of the EU, the upper house of the EU legislature in which ministers take votes on legislative proposals. (🧵2/10)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidenc…
In French the word 'president' is often used when in English we might say 'chairperson' (hence the confusion over the role of the President of the European Parliament, who is more like a Speaker of the House in the UK). 🧵 (3/10)
Read 10 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
3 Dec
Breaking: #Belgium is not going into #lockdown.

After considering closing bars/restaurants (nightclubs already closed), gyms, theatres, Christmas markets & home gatherings, the government has decided only to close schools.

Press conference starting now:
Important for EU bubble folks: private indoor events will be prohibited form 6 December *except in homes*.

My reading of this is that it wouldn't allow for in-person conferences. But let's see what they say at the press conference.
“The situation is no longer tenable’” says Belgian PM @AlexanderDeCroo.

“This Autumn’s wave has been much more severe than we had anticipated. The infections are among the highest in Europe.”
Read 12 tweets

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