Centre for European Reform

Charles Grant, directeur du Centre for European Reforme, explique dans une récente analyse que «certains fonctionnaires de la Commission étaient plutôt embarrassés. Ils ont évoqué les pressions considérables exercées par la France. (...) Un fonctionnaire français – travaillant pour une institution de l'UE et non pour la France – a estimé que la France avait 'intimidé' la Commission».

When Lithuania said it would withdraw from the treaty to join Finland, Estonia and Latvia, which shrewdly never signed up, a Labour Foreign Office minister in the Lords, Baroness Chapman of Darlington (formerly Starmer’s political secretary), voiced strong disapproval: “The UK regrets Lithuania’s decision [and] has frequently raised concerns with Lithuania regarding withdrawal.” When I reported this to a former British ambassador to Latvia, Ian Bond, he groaned and described it as “nuts”.

“The EU really dislikes the Swiss model quite intensely and has a very low opinion of it. So they don’t really want the British to have anything resembling the Swiss model,” Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, wrote recently.

Guttenberg’s post was reshared by Sander Tordoir, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, who added: “Europe should hold a competing football competition in Denmark at exactly the same time – and call it the Viking Freedom Supercup.”
In a subsequent emailed statement, Mr Tordoir said deployment of the ACI was unlikely, with a trade and tech war promising difficulty for both sides.