Democratizing the Eurozone

vivien schmidt

In recent months, more and more attention has been focused on the failure of the Eurozone leaders’ policies of fiscal consolidation, with growth presented as the alternative. The problems for the Eurozone stem not just from the policies, however.  They also come from the governance processes and the politics—or lack thereof. Processes The main problem [...]

European Social Democracy – A new New Deal and Populism

Giorgios

As the mostly centre right governments of Europe rushed a few years back to save their economies by rediscovering the state, many talked of the triumphant return of Neo-Keynesianism. However, they spoke too soon. What followed, as the danger of immediate financial collapse was averted, was a harsh return to the previous orthodoxy and to [...]

The UK and Europe: Ever-weaker Ties as the UK moves close to the Exit

Kirsty Hughes

The UK has long had a semi-detached approach to much of European Union politics and policies – Europe begins across the channel for most people and politicians. And the British opt-outs from the euro and from the Schengen border-free zone are hardly going to be overturned at these times of euro crisis, of debates and [...]

President Hollande – Winds of Change in Europe?

CC Francois Hollande on Flickr

Sunday the 6th of May 2012 might become a significant date in European politics. The Greek election results and above all the election of Francois Hollande as new French President might be the start of political change in Europe. I (and others on SEJ) have argued for a long time that the Angela Merkel driven European [...]

Britain and Europe – The long-running Soap Opera turns sour

Julian Priestley

The success of Britain in toning down the ambitions of the European institutions, shifting the balance away from the supranational executive towards the intergovernmental method, the muzzling of a voice in world affairs that is independent of Washington, the dragooning of Europe to the cause of unfettered globalisation and ‘light touch regulation’, the internal market, [...]

British Euroscepticism

vernon bogdanor

Britain has long been the awkward partner in Europe. In 1951, she refused to join the European Coal and Steel Community, predecessor of the European Community. Ernest Bevin, Foreign Secretary at the time, said of the Coal and Steel Community – ‘If you open that Pandora’s box, you never know what Trojan ‘orses will jump [...]

The Future of Britain in the EU? A call to action for the UK Labour Party

david schoibl

Britain’s role in the EU under the current Cameron Government is that of a petulant child which is throwing its toys out of the pram, rather than being a constructive partner in managing the challenges we all face. A potential future for Britain in Europe seems more at risk than for a long time – [...]

The Challenges of a Multipolar World

sachs

The annual spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have provided a window onto two fundamental trends driving global politics and the world economy. Geopolitics is moving decisively away from a world dominated by Europe and the United States to one with many regional powers but no global leader. And a [...]

What Reasons are There Now to be Europhile?

barber-200x166

We are not quite in silly season yet but last week British newspapers reported the ‘barmy’ EU ruling that has prevented an award winning Kent vineyard from calling its Malbec, ‘wine’.  Instead it is being forced to re-label the bottles as ‘fruit-based alcoholic beverage’.  I have no idea if there is any truth in the [...]

Not so splendid Isolation: The UK and the EU

Robin Wilson

Europe’ has been a neuralgic issue in UK politics for four decades, ever since the then Conservative prime minister, Edward Heath, took the state into the then Common Market, alongside the Republic of Ireland and Denmark. While one positive outcome of that coincident accession has been the rapprochement between Britain and Ireland, transcending a century [...]

Is Britain on the Way out of Europe?

charles grant

Ever since they joined the EU in 1973, the British have been sceptical about political integration in Europe. They have valued the economic benefits of membership, notably the single market, but opposed the concept of ‘political union’. The eurozone crisis is now increasing the gap between Britain and much of the rest of the EU. [...]