It seems that there is less and less that national leaders can agree on among themselves or with Brussels. It is little wonder that the joint Declaration after September’s meeting in Bratislava had to be so bland and that Juncker is so grumpy about the lack of enthusiasm for the EU project. This post examines … More Evidence of Fragility (Part 1)
What if the barrel is rotten? There are two main reasons that lead us to believe that the EU project will fail. The first is ambition and the second is competence. In May, before the UK referendum, we asked tentatively EU in Crisis? We also asked, Is breaking-up so hard to do? These questions have … More 100 Days Review (Part 3)
Why is free movement of people sacrosanct? Is this about diluting nationalism to make centralised control easier? Or is it sacrosanct simply because it has always been a central plank in the ideology. It is of course presented simplistically, so as not to confuse people with details. It would be possible to define the “free … More 100 Days Review (Part 2)
How would you like your Brexit? Beware the cold-eyed lizards in the Treasury with their one-dimensional models (which haven’t worked well so far). The job of the Treasury is narrow and focused on the economy, and particularly on those who benefit from it. They are likely therefore to make decisions that protect, and perhaps enhance, … More 100 Days Review (part 1)
The EU has the ambition to rule Europe and to be sure of this it needs to have its signatories agree to obey new and updated rules and regulations as they are introduced. Treaties, agreements, rules and regulations are made in Brussels and enforced by rulings from the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Member states … More Dynamic Compliance – Endlessly Trapped
Following their meeting in Bratislava on 16 September, the European Council (please don’t confuse this with the Council of Europe – see Europe versus EU in our May archive) issued a Declaration, which can be downloaded from here: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/press-releases-pdf/2016/9/47244647412_en.pdf The Declaration is short and thin and is as bland as we would expect from an … More State of the Union – 4 (The Bratislava Declaration)
Not everyone is as critical of the speech as we have been; here we offer a critical appraisal of an alternative reaction from a supporter. The Economist’s Europe correspondent, Charlemagne, visited Strasbourg to listen to Jean-Claude Juncker give his annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament. His take on the speech is … More State of the Union – 3 (Alternative view)
This post is a detailed, critical review of the State of the Union address to the European Parliament. This is the EU Commission’s website (in English): http://ec.europa.eu/priorities/deeper-and-fairer-economic-and-monetary-union_en At the top is the priority, which is: This is the declared priority and the one that wishful thinkers subscribe to. The real priorities, evidenced throughout the Five … More State of the Union – 2 (Critical examination)
Here is our first reaction on reading the summary of Jean-Claude Juncker’s state of the union address on 14 September 2016. We’re not anti-European, we’re anti-EU. We’re against the complacent, misguided ideologists who can’t see its extreme failures, or can see them but think the present sacrifices are worthwhile. Not their sacrifices, naturally, with their … More State of the Union – 1 (Summary)
While stuck-in-a-groove Remainers continue to disparage the growing return to ‘normality’, with their whingeing ‘ah! buttery’, and some are still calling for a second referendum to ‘correct’ the first, there are signs that a more reflective and deeper intelligence is beginning to assert itself. Even the Economist, previously driven almost hysterical by the threat and … More Settling Down – at last?
This EU Won't Work 