The Economist has a collection of videos here, in one of which several worthies speculate on what would happen if, to ensure a win in the coming French presidential election, and a defeat for Marine Le Pen, the candidates had to offer to hold a referendum on France’s continuing membership of the EU. One participant … More Brexit Contagion?
The EU is based on a redundant ideology from which its leaders are unable, indeed unwilling, to free themselves. And the troubles and crises that result may well be terminal (see our EU Future topic area for more detailed discussions). Brexit is simply a symptom of the troubles and crises that the EU has brought … More Back to Brexit Basics
John Lanchester is an occasional writer for The New Yorker and the London Review of Books. In an October edition of The New Yorker he gives an excellent review of the Euro and its failings. Among other things he covers some history of the EU, the Euro, the global crisis, and how these link to … More The Euro – Decline and Fall
In this post we pull together and summarise the evidence we find that the EU is fragile and its future is at risk. For more details see Evidence of Fragility (Part 1), Evidence of Fragility (Part 2) and Evidence of Fragility (Part 3). Evidence is also drawn from other posts; there’s plenty of it – … More Evidence of Fragility (Summary)
Migration, trade and recalcitrant member governments continue to show up the weaknesses of the EU. First, the Express on the latest spat about migration: http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/725540/Migrant-crisis-Italy-PM-Matteo-Renzi-veto-EU-budget-refugee-chaos? “FURIOUS Italian leader Matteo Renzi today [October 27] threatened to fatally cripple the entire European project unless Brussels bureaucrats do more to sort out the migrant crisis.” “In an extraordinary … More Evidence of Fragility (Part 3)
This post, almost without comment from us, picks out some illuminating points from a recently published book, which suggests that deep divisions on questions of economics and finance are at the root of the EU’s problems in the eurozone: The Euro and the Battle of Ideas. By Markus Brunnermeier, Harold James and Jean-Pierre Landau. Princeton University Press … More France and Germany: Leading but Where?
The New York Times (NYT: 7/02/2014) offered a useful short summary of the origins and development of the EU. This post is a summary of that summary, with some commentary from us. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/08/opinion/what-would-jean-monnet-have-done.html On the whole the NYT favours the “European Project” so while the author points up some of the difficulties it faces he … More The European Project: Some History
We continue our look at evidence of fragility in other EU member states. Germany In Germany Frauke Petry is leading the ‘Alternative for Germany’ (AfD) deep into euroscepticism. She says, “The Great Britain decision to leave the EU is a signal to the Brussels Politburo and its bureaucratic attachments. If the EU does not finally … More Evidence of Fragility (Part 2)
Shortly before the UK referendum, from April to May, the Pew Research Centre conducted a wide survey (10,491 respondents representing 80% of the EU population) in ten EU nations to learn how citizens view the EU and the then-forthcoming UK referendum. The results are reported here: http://www.pewglobal.org/2016/06/07/euroskepticism-beyond-brexit/ We summarise some results of the polling exercise … More A View from the Ground
The Canadians have just walked out of trade talks with the EU after seven frustrating years of negotiations. Chrystia Freeland, the international trade minister, said, “It’s become evident … that the EU isn’t capable now to have an international treaty … even with a country so nice, with a lot of patience, like Canada.” Many … More Trading with the EU
This EU Won't Work 