from the BBC News, Wednesday 18 May: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36314814 Mr Tusk said the EU remained a “firewall” against conflict between European countries, saying the “banal” truth was that “the only alternative for the Union is political chaos, the return to national egoisms, and in consequence, the triumph of anti-democratic tendencies, which can lead to history repeating … More Tsk! Tusk
The EU, and later the EMU, were based on a vision outlined not long after the Second World War. The vision, that Europe needs to be integrated to avoid the possibility of its constituent nations going again to war with each other, has faded as economic and social ties have pushed such a possibility into … More Past, Present, Future
The Daily Telegraph online business section has a startling article reporting on the views of other Europeans towards the EU, as surveyed by MORI. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/05/10/devastating-mori-poll-shows-europes-peoples-share-british-rage-o/ Here are some extracts, in case you haven’t the time to read the whole article: “[It] was still the view of the policy elites even after the Schengen fire had been … More Other European Views
For people in some European countries the EU may seem like a better bet than relying on their own elected representatives not to rob them blind and manage things in their own interests. This is not the case for Britain. There is a tension between the wishes of the peoples of Europe and the wishes … More Why Some Countries Like EU
We have said that the unsound foundations of the EU will, eventually, lead to its collapse. So far this expectation is based mostly on the flawed logic of the Project and on the history of undemocratic regimes in Europe. Now the first signs of disruption may be evident in the rise of far-right parties in … More Break-up: Possible?
“I have never understood why public opinion about European ideas should be taken into account.” Attributed to Raymond Barre, former French premier and European commissioner For us this quotation accurately, honestly and succinctly characterises both the original and the current attitudes that underpin the whole European Union project. From the Home page we discuss in … More Why Not Reform the EU?
The recent rise in membership of far-right (even neo-Nazi) political parties across the EU has much to do with its policy of taking, but never ceding, powers that advance the cause of a unitary state. The Schengen open borders agreement has facilitated an uncontrollable spread of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa. Pragmatism … More Resurgent Right
The European Union is an experiment, though not acknowledged as such, for the good reason that most people would be horrified to know that they are guinea pigs. “Power corrupts”. A feature of such corruption is that the basis of power is deliberately obscured so that it will not be challenged. This is a weak … More Ideology versus Pragmatism
Economics is not a science; economists cannot conduct controlled experiments. Yet leaders of the EU/EMU believe that they can predict and control the future, if only the rest of us would stick to their rules. Economically Britain is drifting away from Europe. This is the field where one of the main Brexit battles will be … More Economics
This EU Won't Work 