As a potential path back to growth for the ailing economies on both sides of the Atlantic, the proposal to create a Transatlantic Free Trade Area has resurfaced. It would be a very good idea, but achieving it is easier said than done.

L'Italie est dans une impasse avec une Chambre des députés à gauche et un Sénat sans majorité à l'issue des élections.  La coalition de gauche de Pier Luigi Bersani a remporté 29,5% des voix et s'adjudge ainsi la majorité des sièges à la Chambre (340 des 630 sièges), grâce à un système qui accorde 54% des fauteuils à la formation arrivant en tête. Mais au Sénat, où la prime de majorité est accordée par région, les résultats donnent le centre gauche très loin de la majorité absolue des 158 sièges. En termes de voix, la gauche en remporte 31,63 % et la droite 30,71%.

Myanmar (Burma) has all the elements required to create another Asian economic miracle. With a population of 54 million, the country has a large pool of low-cost workers custom made to attract the labor-intensive manufacturing that jump-started income growth from South Korea to Malaysia. Natural resources, such as timber and mineral resources could woo billions in foreign investment. And its strategic position nestled between China and India could turn the country into a prime location for tapping into the megagrowth of those two Asian giants.

EU citizens are becoming more pessimistic about politics. They have lost faith in politics and there is dismay and disillusionment about how politics works. The malaise of pessimism that surrounds public debate owes part of its cause to a growing recognition of the scale of the financial, economic, social and environmental challenges we face. It also draws much of its power from an increasing sense that there is not much that can be done about them collectively given the current atrophied state of politics and governmental institutions.

The lower Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei deputati) counts 630 seats while the upper Chamber  the Senate (Senato della Repubblica) counts 315 seats (+ 4 named for life). Seats in both chambers are based on proportional representation within the respect of certain limits in order to encourage parties to form coalitions. 

Germany is at the helm of the European Commission. Indeed, Berlin greatly benefits from the accelerated ‘return to balance policy’. It is the only country in Europe to have an economic structure that is already balanced, namely because the country has a catastrophic demography. The country therefore does not have to face the problem of young people who have a hard time finding jobs. Further, the German economy is strongly turned towards exports and benefits from the strong euro and records enormous profits in trade to the detriment of its European neighbours.

The European Union executive said the euro zone economy would shrink 0.3 percent in 2013 after a 0.6 percent recession last year.

Negative growth is projected for Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.

Here below is the economic forecast provide by the European Commission for the 27 bloc:

Austria: Embarking on a moderate upturn. Projected Growth Rate for 2013: 0.7%

Belgium: Sluggish growth and ongoing fiscal consolidation. Projected Growth Rate for 2013: 0.2%

At present 17.4% of all EU citizens are age 65 and older. This represents a population of 87 million people.

L'évaluation des politiques publiques doit favoriser l'émergence d'un pluralisme de l'expertise et, in fine, accroître la participation des acteurs intéressés par les politiques publiques.

Companies and organizations usually hire or employ a Public Policy Advocate if they want government to do to – or NOT to do – something they care about. Companies and organizations  also hire or employ Public Policy Advocates  to be their “eyes and ears” in Brussels and/or in Member States capitals  to monitor and report on what is happening in areas of interest to them. And some companies and organizations also hire or employ Public Policy Advocates  to raise the profile of the company or organization among decision makers.