Charles Grant
Charles Grant
Director
Areas of expertise
Britain’s relationship with the EU, the ‘future of Europe’ debate, European foreign and defence policy, and China's relations with the West.
Twitter
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Sarkozy's bold European defence initiative
Financial Times
24 March 2008
Gordon Brown will welcome Nicolas Sarkozy to London on March 27. Almost 10 years ago, their predecessors as British prime minister and French president, Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac, launched the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) at St Malo. At this week's Franco-British summit, defence co-operation will once again...
A new deal with Russia?
Prospect
01 November 2007
"The Soviet Union was easier to deal with than Russia is today," says a senior French diplomat. "Sometimes the Soviets were difficult, but you knew they were being obstructive in order to achieve an objective. Now Russia seeks to block the west systematically on every subject, apparently without a purpose."
Relations...
Relations...
The exit beckons for Britain
New Statesman
18 October 2007
As EU leaders gathered for their latest summit, Britain's Euro sceptics fired their heavy artillery rounds. The Conservatives, the Sun, Mail and Telegraph whipped themselves into a fury, convinced that if they took their analysis of the EU reform treaty to new hyperbolic heights, they could force the government to offer a referendum.
State of the Union: The good deal
The Wall Street Journal
25 June 2007
The deal in Brussels on a new treaty this weekend is good news for those who hope the EU can become a more confident and effective contributor to global security.
We do not need a referendum
The Guardian
23 June 2007
Thank goodness for the agreement in Brussels last night. Without a deal, the EU would have been mired in arguments on treaties, institutions and process for a prolonged period.
Treaty would not concede new powers on foreign policy
Financial Times
21 June 2007
Sir,
Martin Wolf's critique of the proposed new EU treaty ("This is a cynical plan for an unnecessary European treaty", June 20) wrongly asserts that the new posts of "president" and "foreign minister" would "centralise decision-making in areas affecting security".
Each would replace the rotating presidency as, respectively, chair of the European...
Martin Wolf's critique of the proposed new EU treaty ("This is a cynical plan for an unnecessary European treaty", June 20) wrongly asserts that the new posts of "president" and "foreign minister" would "centralise decision-making in areas affecting security".
Each would replace the rotating presidency as, respectively, chair of the European...
Constitutional fudge
The Guardian
19 June 2007
So far, Britain's stance on the German attempt to revise the EU treaties has been - from a British perspective - broadly reasonable.
What future? France's Socialist party needs a rethink
The Guardian
07 May 2007
France's Socialist party needs to rethink its identity and its strategy. Having lost three presidential elections in a row, the party needs to learn from centre-left parties not only in Britain, but also in Italy, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries and Spain.
Sarkozy - the new Napoleon
The Guardian
23 April 2007
As a former activist in the French Socialist Party, it pains me to welcome the success of a right-wing populist in the first round of the presidential election. But I think that a Nicolas Sarkozy victory may be the best outcome for France and for Europe.
Britain would be unwise to thwart Europe's treaty
Financial Times
03 April 2007
Germany's ambition to salvage large parts of the European Union constitutional treaty may provoke a serious rift between Britain and its partners. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown may be heading for a collision over what to do about the German plan. But the general view in Britain seems to be...