Brussels
How long will capital restrictions last in Cyprus? ‘Can’t say’
To the European Commission headquarters this morning for a briefing with Michel Barnier, the Frenchman who is commissioner in charge of banking. The press pack wanted to talk about –… Continue reading
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Scotland's position in europe is weaker than the SNP would have you believe
Nicola Sturgeon, arguably the SNP’s most effective asset at present, went to Brussels today to deliver a speech about Scotland’s future relationship with the EU. Most of it was as… Continue reading
162 Comments
Are the Tories united on Europe? Pull the other one.
Party unity is one of those things you can measure by the frequency with which the idea is mentioned. The more often it is talked about, the less it exists.… Continue reading
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David Cameron's Europe "Strategy" is Going to Fail - Spectator Blogs
This is unfortunate, not least because the Prime Minister is a greater realist than many of his erstwhile supporters. They, too often, seem to be another bunch of Bourbons. They… Continue reading
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EU Shocker: The United States agrees with the British Government! - Spectator Blogs
Good grief. Are we supposed to be surprised that senior officials at the US State Department take the view that Britain should, all things considered, remain a member of the… Continue reading
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Scottish Independence and Europe: Who does this Barroso guy think he is? - Spectator Blogs
Today’s Think Scotland column takes a gander at the rumpus over an independent Scotland’s accession to the EU. Until recently the SNP promised that said accession would be automatic. Now… Continue reading
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Britain, Scotland, Norway and Europe: lands of magical Sovereignty-Unicorns - Spectator Blogs
Even the cheapest, Poundland crystal ball will tell even a blind observer that Europe is pretty soon going to be a pretty hefty problem for almost all of Britain’s political… Continue reading
15 CommentsLabour’s Disingenuous Flirtation with an EU Referendum
Apparently the Labour leadership is considering making a commitment to hold an In or Out referendum on British membership of the EU sometime in the next parliament. Guido says this would… Continue reading
13 CommentsTory Plans for an EU Referendum are Baffling and Incoherent
I wish the Conservative party’s attitude towards european policy made more sense. To be more specific, I wish the Prime Minister’s attitude made more sense. One can respect the views… Continue reading
13 Comments
Europe is being strangled by the Franco-German alliance
David Cameron’s complaints at last night’s EU meeting about the lack of a growth agenda have, in part, been addressed by the new draft conclusions. Cameron — who was supported… Continue reading
18 CommentsThe Irish Ask Another Brussels Question
And, as we know, Brussels has a habit of changing the answer any time anyone offers the wrong inconvenient answer. Nevertheless, the Irish government’s decision – made on the advice… Continue reading
5 CommentsPrisoner: Cell Block Athens
The Financial Times has a swell story today, demonstrating how Greece, already a ward of Brussels, is not likely to be trusted with even its own pocket-money, far less be… Continue reading
2 CommentsSarkozy’s Victory
This is, according to the Spitfire & Bullshit brigade, a great triumph for David Cameron and, more generally, for euroscepticism. If so, I’d hate to see what defeat looks like.… Continue reading
40 CommentsIs Cameron Too Quiet on Europe? Blame the Tory Right.
When it comes to covering American politics the foreign press loves nothing more than gawping at the excesses of the right-wing of the conservative movement. Some of this is reasonable,… Continue reading
27 CommentsWhat Cameron should push for in Brussels
As David Cameron stays in Brussels for his third European summit as PM, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the EU’s approach to the eurozone crisis – put up short-term cash… Continue reading
24 CommentsVictory or defeat?
What has David Cameron achieved in Brussels so far? In truth, it’s fairly hard to tell. In a meeting with his European Council counterparts last night, our prime minister didn’t… Continue reading
41 CommentsIs the United States Senate Broken?
In one sense, yes it is. The Senate may be the world’s most exasperating deliberative body. As with it’s Roman counterpart there’s a growing sense that the Senate has outlived… Continue reading
13 CommentsBackroom Deals in Brussels Are No Big Deal
It’s always heads they win, tails you lose with the euro-sceptics isn’t it? For instance, they were adamant that they didn’t want a high-profile figure such as Tony Blair to… Continue reading
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