tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732407426313451205.post3241058231664536585..comments2024-03-08T15:43:20.236+00:00Comments on Keynesian Liberal: Bad BehaviourPeter Wrigleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16481117156930677255noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732407426313451205.post-76510593988347255692010-07-01T17:54:10.797+01:002010-07-01T17:54:10.797+01:00Your third point gives the lie to the idea that wo...Your third point gives the lie to the idea that working for the EU is an atracive gravy-train. Having spent the last 11 (sic) years trying to improve on my schoolboy French, and still being not very good at it, I see the requirement for a third European language as a considerable obstacle. Unfortunately , as you point out, recent government "reforms" giving a lower priority to language teaching are something of an "own goal." I'd very much like enthusiasm for Europe to increase, but the whole topic was off the agenda in the recent election, and as yet shows little sign of returning. Maybe Hague's speech is a step in the right direction.Peter Wrigleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16481117156930677255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732407426313451205.post-9644739260075240992010-07-01T13:33:01.794+01:002010-07-01T13:33:01.794+01:00Peter, excuse me for this long and totally off-sub...Peter, excuse me for this long and totally off-subject comment on William Hague's speech yesterday in which he expressed his astonishment "that the previous Government failed to give due weight to the exercise of British influence in the EU. They neglected to ensure that sufficient numbers of bright British officials entered EU institutions, and so we now face a generation gap developing in the British presence in parts of the EU. Since 2007, the number of British officials at Director level in the European Commission has fallen by a third and we have 205 fewer British officials in the Commission overall. The UK represents 12 per cent of the EU population. Despite that, at entry-level policy grades in the Commission, the UK represents just 1.8 per cent of the staff, well under the level of other major EU member states. As a new Government we are determined to put this right.” <br />This is indeed a problem: recruitment of Brits to the Commission has fallen off a cliff in recent years for four main reasons. 1/general British negativity to Europe and hence a career in the EU, 2/lack of language skills: proof of ability to use a third EU language is now required before first promotion - a very tall order for Brits given the dismantling of foreign language education in recent years. 3/ the 2004 regulations ('the Kinnock reform') designed to 'deprivilege' Eurocrats which has had the effect of making Commission terms and conditions unattractive for British civil servants and others in mid-career, due to lowish starting salaries and slow promotion. 4/recruitment recently has been largely limited to the new Member States (but worryingly the recent 'open' competiton attracted disproportionately few British candidates).<br /><br />There are no easy answers to the first three problems: it will be interesting to see what practical steps the government takes to address them.Jaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16106307451408203689noreply@blogger.com