Press
Ruth Davidson tells Theresa May to set new course for a softer Brexit
13 June 2017
The Times
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, said the new political reality meant there was simply no parliamentary majority for the kind of Brexit put forward by Mrs May during the election campaign. “My view is that if Mrs May is to have any future as prime minister she has to change the substance of her line on Brexit,” he said.
Britain's Theresa May comes under pressure to soften her stance on Brexit
13 June 2017
The Washington Post
“We now have a Parliament that’s gridlocked,” said John Springford, research director at the CER. “It doesn’t appear that there’s a majority for hard Brexit, a majority for soft Brexit, or certainly not a majority for remain. It’s a very confused picture.”
European defence spending question casts long shadow
13 June 2017
Shephard
This is a crucial aspect of defence spending, said Sophia Besch, research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. "The real issue is that if countries raise defence spending on a national level, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it goes towards research and development or towards procurement. It could just mean that they’re investing in jobs at home," she said.
EU migration showdown: Divide deepens after Brussels launches legal action against Hungary, Poland and Czech Republic
13 June 2017
The Telegraph
"There are no winners in this spat over the re-location policy," said Agata Gostynska-Jakubowska, eastern EU expect at the Centre for European Reform, predicting that case could ultimately reach the European Court of Justice. ..."The public will almost certainly see its actions as an attack on the countries’ sovereignty. Governments will probably reinforce this perception by their domestic narrative," she added.
Hard or soft: How will the UK take its Brexit?
13 June 2017
Deutsche Welle
"The mandate for the government to negotiate whatever kind of Brexit it wants - and which was shaping up to be very hard - has now gone," Simon Tilford of the Centre for European Reform told DW. "It's very, very hard to see - or impossible to see, really - how the government could walk away with no deal, and it's very hard to see how the government could push that kind of hard Brexit."
In Britain's post-election disarray, can a Brexit consensus be found?
13 June 2017
The Christian Science Monitor
“With her party divided and no majority in Parliament, May will run the constant risk of one side or another rebelling,” predicts Simon Tilford, deputy director of the Centre for European Reform. “It is difficult to see how she can pursue any Brexit in these circumstances.”
Großbritannien: Von oben herab
13 June 2017
Die Zeit
Simon Tilford, stellvertretender Direktor des Centre for European Reform, formuliert es so: "Dass sie direkt in die Brexit-Verhandlungen gehen will, ist für unseren Ruf sehr schlecht. Großbritannien wirkt unseriös, ehrlich gesagt, sogar wahnhaft. Es wäre ehrlicher gewesen, wenn May zurückgetreten wäre und den Europäern signalisiert hätte, dass Großbritannien mehr Zeit braucht. Doch für sie sind die Brexit-Verhandlungen der einzige Weg, um an der Macht zu bleiben. Wenn es zu Verzögerungen käme, könnte sie von ihrer Partei weggeputscht werden."
Germany: Reluctant military giant?
12 June 2017
BBC News
For a long time, says military expert Sophia Besch from the Centre for European Reform: "If you were a soldier [in Germany] you could not really ride a train in your uniform. You'd be approached by passengers calling you a 'murderer'."
BBC Radio 4: Germany - Anxious Giant
12 June 2017
Sophia Besch talks to Radio 4 about the standing of the German army in Germany and its relationship with the public (from 02.30).
May wanted a mandate for a hard Brexit. Now Europe expects a softer tone
11 June 2017
The Observer
Prime minister's crumbling authority offers a new chance for compromise – and the EU could scale back its demands.
Die Tür zurück zur EU steht einen Spaltbreit offen
11 June 2017
Die Welt
Die britische Parlamentswahl am Donnerstag hat der Premierministerin nicht das von ihr erhoffte „starke Mandat“ gegeben, im Gegenteil. Aber das heißt noch lange nicht, dass der Brexit nun ganz anders ausgeht. Dass die Briten doch noch die größte Nähe zur EU oder gar den Ausstieg aus dem Ausstieg suchen. Gerade eine angeschlagene Premierministerin „könnte jetzt noch mehr auf die Konfrontation mit Brüssel setzen“, warnt Simon Tilford vom Centre for European Reform.
Le Brexit à la merci de l’instabilité politique qui règne en Grande-Bretagne
11 June 2017
Les Echos
« Face aux rebelles qui menacent de voter contre elle des deux côtés, Theresa May aura le plus grand mal à définir une position de négociation solide et à s'y tenir », prédit Simon Tilford, du Centre for European Reform. La négociation pourrait certes démarrer le 19 juin mais elle risque de « caler très rapidement » à cause de l'incertitude qui règne en Grande-Bretagne.
Theresa May faces fight to keep Brexit on track as Brussels puts the boot in and rivals push for delay
10 June 2017
The Sun
The Centre for European Reform said the Tories could seek a “cross party consensus” with Labour.
Te wybory to klęska May, rządu i torysów
10 June 2017
Polska Times
Wybory osłabiły pozycję Theresy May, także wewnątrz jej własnej Partii Konserwatywnej - mówi w rozmowie z Agencją Informacyjną Polska Press Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska z think-tanku Centre for European Reform.
El patinazo de May agrava el riesgo de un 'brexit' brutal y sin acuerdo
10 June 2017
Cinco Dias
El impacto de un brexit sin acuerdo sería peligroso para ambos lados del Canal de la Mancha, pero potencialmente devastador para Reino Unido, según un análisis del instituto londinense Centre for European Reform (CER), previo a las elecciones del 8 de junio. “La UE puede mitigar sus daños y castigar a Gran Bretaña en áreas que no le supongan un gran coste”, advertían los autores del análisis, John Springford y Simon Tilford. Y, en cambio, auguran a Reino Unido un escenario de pesadilla con una devaluación de la libra esterlina hasta la paridad con el euro y el dólar; una escalada de la inflación; y “una profunda recesión” con grave daño para las finanzas públicas del Reino Unido.
Le revers de Theresa May va compliquer encore les négociations du Brexit
09 June 2017
Le Temps
«Theresa May ne pourra pas rester au pouvoir et elle démissionnera: elle a perdu toute crédibilité au sein de son parti», estiment Simon Tilford et John Springford, du Centre for European Reform, un think tank britannique. Si c’est le cas, une période d’environ deux mois s’ouvrira pour élire un nouveau leader des conservateurs. Le vainqueur définira alors une nouvelle position sur le Brexit et les négociations devront attendre.
Is a softer Brexit on the cards?
09 June 2017
Financial Times
Simon Tilford, deputy director of the Centre for European Reform, says that the result offers some succour to those who voted Remain in last year’s referendum.
British election throws up yet more questions on Brexit
09 June 2017
dpa international
"You could hope that the EU-27 will see this as an opportunity for them to reach a softer Brexit deal with the UK, which is, in the end, in the interest of all of Europe to have a more stable relationship with Britain," Sophia Besch of the Centre for European Reform said. She noted that the election had shifted the power dynamic in the EU's favour.
Theresa May could be ousted by her own MPs if she goes for hard Brexit
09 June 2017
Huffington Post
The Centre for European Reform (CER) warned the Prime Minister would now have to take into account the views of pro-Europeans in her party during Brexit negotiations – or face a vote of no confidence.
May clings to power with Northern Irish unionists
09 June 2017
EU Observer
“The elections further complicated the UK’s negotiating leverage,” Agata Gostynska-Jakubowska, a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, told EUobserver. "The fact that she is forming a minority government, [and] that Labour has strengthened, might result in the parliament putting more pressure on her stance, demanding greater scrutiny, and for her to reveal her positions,” she said.