A précis of previous posts on this theme The declared purpose of the European Union is to unify the continent: economically, socially and politically. Unification has gone a long way but EU leaders do not believe they have achieved their ambition yet. Without unification the EU has no rationale (see Enlightenment). On the surface the … More Themes-17: Unity and Unification
How Italy could issue its own local currency to avoid EU-imposed austerity in return for ECB loans. If it looks like money and behaves like money then it is money. The picture here shows a mocked-up, Italian mini-BOT (Buono Ordinario del Tesoro), the proposed parallel currency that the Italian government is threatening to introduce to … More To BOT, Or Not?
A précis of previous posts on this theme In June 2015 the presidents of the five major divisions of the European Union, led by Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, published their report, titled Completing Europe’s Economic and Monetary Union. We reviewed the report in three posts, the second of which covered economic and … More Themes-16: EMU-Euro
A précis of previous posts on this theme Over the three years we’ve been writing this blog democracy has been close to the centre of our attention. The issue of democracy highlights, perhaps more than any other theme, the gap between the values that the EU declares it holds and the absence of such values … More Themes-15: Democracy
Nearly twenty years ago the EU’s appointed leaders declared the union to be almost complete, bar a little polish. Was it true then and is it closer now? We’ve come across an old document that helps us to understand what Remainers, and other EU-philes, see in the Project that excites them to want Britain to … More Aspirations and Outcomes
The idea for a union that would bring peace, cooperation and prosperity to Europe was a great one but the present EU plan and structure has brought none of these things. When we were young we believed in ‘enlightened’ political theories, since then we have taken better notice of what was revealed during The Enlightenment … More Enlightenment
A précis of previous posts on this theme The only agreement that matters is the final one, which hasn’t begun to be negotiated, yet alone put ‘on the table’ or agreed. What has been agreed, between the EU and the UK Government, and then dismissed by the UK Parliament, is covered in the last two … More Themes-14: Withdrawal Agreements
A précis of previous posts on this theme Each year since 2015 we have reviewed the annual presentation to the European Parliament (EP) given by Jean-Claude Juncker (J-C hereafter), the President of the European Commission. These speeches, though they are largely public relations exercises, give us insights (not always intended) into EU thinking and planning. … More Themes-13: State of the Union
Whatever the outcome of a second Referendum it is unlikely to be so decisive that it resolves the national divide on Brexit. A General Election would at least change a few bottoms on the green benches at Westminster but how do voters choose given that it could change a lot of things apart from EU … More Party Politics
There are some peculiar but revealing parallels between the EU’s veiled ambitions and a plan for the economic development of a (to-be) conquered Europe put out by the Nazi government of Germany during the Second World War. In ‘Briefings for Brexit’ (20 May 2019) Professor David Blake, of the Cass Business School, has a long … More Revealing History: The War Plan
This EU Won't Work 