“SIMPLE colours, simple messages,” was how one colleague described Declan Ganley’s launch of his Libertas group, under whose banner he hopes to run candidates for the European Parliament elections in all 27 EU countries in June.

STANDING in the middle of the country, the Caucus mountains in the background, with Georgian, South Ossetian and Russian checkpoints just a few hundred metres away made Georgia’s Rose Revolution seem like a mirage.

RUSSIA proved to be as difficult as ever for the European Union to come to terms with, and the EU proved to be as unreliable as usual when it comes to dealing with the great bear.

THE United States under Barack Obama could leave Europe far behind with its green agenda, creating jobs and wealth, former Irish president Mary Robinson said during the week.

EU lawyers will begin working with the Government on assurances to the Irish electorate in the event of a second vote on the Lisbon treaty.

ATTITUDES to Ireland are hardening across the European Union and the Taoiseach’s message to the summit of his fellow leaders this week will do little to soften that.

IRELAND’S rules for processing and granting asylum will come into line with the rest of the EU once the draft Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill comes into force early next year.

RETAILERS will be banned from giving discounts to customers who pay by cash rather than credit cards under new legislation, Retail Ireland has warned.

FOR years now Belgians have been compromising with one another in an effort to keep the country together. They have five parliaments and a power sharing arrangement that would baffle the best mathematician.

People could be forgiven for believing the centuries-old feud between Britain and France was about to be ended by the son of a Hungarian ad salesman who officially takes over as President of France today.