Corona and the European Commission
Last week I analyzed Corona-related tweets published by the European External Action Service (EEAS). This week I turned my attention to the European Commission. The Commission is, in essence, the governing body of the EU. It helps manage the EU’s external and internal affairs. The prolonged Brexit debate emphasized that while the UK viewed the EU as a financial alliance, other member states view it as much more. EU nations share certain values and wish to promote a shared vision of the world. The European Commission is one of the bodies tasked with realizing that vision. Yet is also a shared governing body, one meant to aid EU citizens and ensure their prosperity.
As part of my analysis, I examined all Corona-related tweets published by the Commission between March 1st and March 25th, 2020. My aim was to examine whether the Commission sprang into action early, or whether it too took a long time of understand the magnitude of the Corona outbreak. I also hoped to understand what topics ..
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Israeli Corona Greeting Goes Viral in Arab World
“May Allah keep you, our cousins.” Warm messages such as that have been flooding into the Arabic-language social media accounts of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They come in...
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“We can be heroes. Just for one day.”
Skip to content Matt Field
British Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina
25th March 2020 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
“We can be heroes. Just for one day.” I sit to write this blog at a table in my home. Like many people across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and in fact the world, I am currently working from home, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am lucky to have the space and technology to do so. There are many who want to work, but are now unable. I hope to show that being an Ambassador is also a job that can be done remotely. And I am really pleased that as the British Embassy we are all doing our part.
Why? Because we collectively face the greatest public health crisis in a generation. It is now abundantly clear that the entire world is affected, or will be so, and that every single one of us has a role to play. On the frontline are our doctors, nurses, emergency service staff, and similar critical workers. Many are continuing to do other essential work, the shop assistants,..
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The BBC and Soft Power
Once more, the debate over the BBC – particularly the license fee – is hotting up. As the Government turns its eyes on to the UK’s public broadcaster, the value for money of the license fee has come under scrutiny.
But Sir David Clementi, Chairman of the BBC, has warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson “that attacks on the corporation will result in a “weakened United Kingdom” amid tensions with Downing Street over the broadcaster’s future.”
Certainly, when it comes to soft power – the BBC is an asset which should not be taken for granted.
At an event in Westminster recently, Sir Robbie Gibb, former Adviser to Theresa May and Head of BBC Westminster, made a number of salient points with regard to the BBC’s soft power. He argued that ‘if you go anywhere in the world and ask what they know about the UK, they’ll say the Queen… and the BBC.’..
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Pakistan to create “Digital Media Wing” for digital diplomacy
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has decided to form a 23-member committee for the digital diplomacy strategy. According to Dr. Arsalan Khalid, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Focal Person for Digital...
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