Press

First ever televised debates struggle to electrify EU voters

19 May 2014
Oman Daily Observer
Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform think-tank also laments the fact that the candidates from the largest political parties “are remarkably similar,” even though they “claim to be offering voters a choice of Europes.”

The eurozone's problems have not gone away, and elections won't change much

Larry Elliott
18 May 2014
The Guardian
One of two things could happen. The euro could be fundamentally reformed along the lines proposed by Charles Grant, the director of the Centre for European Reform.

Elected, yet strangely unaccountable

17 May 2014
The Economist
Charles Grant, of the London-based Centre for European Reform, notes that “the parliament has serious shortcomings as an institution…much of the time its priority appears to be more power for itself.”

EU elections 2014: Does Germany rule your world?

Simon Tilford
15 May 2014
The Telegraph
The success of Germany’s Mittelstand is “partly down to the structure of the German financial system. Small and medium sized businesses have been able to access long-term capital at quite favourable interest rates." says Simon Tilford of the CER.

Recovery stalls in Europe as austerity grinds on

Simon Tilford
15 May 2014
The Telegraph
Simon Tilford says “We think it is highly unlikely that the ECB will launch the kind of shock and awe QE needed to convince the markets that they are really going to stay the distance”.

Eurozone economy shows weak expansion

Simon Tilford
15 May 2014
The Wall Street Journal
"We're seeing a cyclical pickup in activity, but it's anemic given the depth of the slump," said Simon Tilford, deputy director of the CER, a nonpartisan think-tank in London. "Typically, you'd expect faster growth in the aftermath of such a recession."

Pour une mise à jour du récit européen

Stephen Tindale
14 May 2014
Le Temps
Stephen Tindale, membre du Centre for European Reform basé à Londres, un think tank pro-européen mais critique, donne des pistes pour redonner du souffle au projet européen, miné par la crise et la perte de confiance

Clean up act

Stephen Tindale
14 May 2014
The Economist Intelligence Unit
All clean energy sources are needed to limit global warming, argues Stephen Tindale, associate fellow at the Centre for European Reform.

For some in Europe, high lending rates hamper recovery

Simon Tilford
12 May 2014
The New York Times
“It [differences in lending costs] is something that guarantees economic divergence,” said Simon Tilford, deputy director of the CER in London, “and it will make it hard to generate growth in the south, without which those countries’ debts will be unsustainable.”

Getting out? UK exit from EU less likely

Simon Nixon
11 May 2014
The Wall Street Journal
Contrary to conventional wisdom, the City has little to fear from further eurozone integration but much to lose from EU exit, according to the Centre for European Reform.

EU exit: deception and exaggeration

09 May 2014
EurActiv
Despite the rise of UKIP and the potential electoral triumph for Eurosceptics in the coming EU elections, some commentators like Charles Grant (of the Centre for European Reform) believe an In/Out referendum is winnable.

Video interview on 'The consequences of Brexit for the City of London'

08 May 2014
John Springford talks about his and Philip Whyte's latest policy brief 'The consequences of Brexit for the City of London'.

Barroso sees Britain as a 'special' case within EU

George Parker and James Fontanella-Khan
08 May 2014
Financial Times
The CER has concluded that if Britain left the EU, banks would shift some of their activities to elsewhere in the 28-member bloc. “The remaining member states would insist that Britain sign up to many rules, in exchange for more limited access to European markets than it currently enjoys,” the report says.

G7 Energy Ministers’ Meeting: Agreement on breaking Russian dependence.

Stephen Tindale
08 May 2014
Mainichi Newspaper
“According to Stephen Tindale, associate fellow at the Centre for European Reform, a British think tank familiar with the European energy situation: “For many years there has been little cost incentive to promote the spread of energy conservation and renewables. However, in the wake of efforts to reduce dependency on Russian energy, now is the time for drastic reforms.”

The Eurosceptics have browbeaten us. It's time we stopped cringing

Martin Kettle
08 May 2014
The Guardian
That's why, if only from self-interest, we ought to care more about which EU-wide group wins these elections. It's why we ought to be engaged with the arguments between the centre-right's Jean-Claude Juncker or the centre-left's Martin Schulz, on which the Guardian reports today.

Erholung im Euroraum, Fehler der EZB

Christian Odendahl
07 May 2014
Der Standard
„Die EZB hat den großen Fehler begangen, nicht vorbeugend auf den sich abzeichnenden Deflationsdruck aus der Peripherie zu reagieren“, kritisiert auch Christian Odendahl, Chefökonom am Centre for European Reform, im Standard-Gespräch.

An independent UK could become dirty man of Europe again

Stephen Tindale
07 May 2014
Environmental Health News
Polls predicts fervently anti-EU parties, such as the UK Independence Party, will make significant inroads in this month's European elections. And if David Cameron wins the next general election, he has pledged to hold an in/out referendum on the EU. However Stephen Tindale, associate fellow at the Centre for European Reform, argues indepdence would put at risk all the environmental and health benefits that flow from EU membership.

Protesters try to block Russian 'Arctic oil' shipment

02 May 2014
Voice of America
"At least half of the (Russian) national state budget comes from sales of hydrocarbons to Europe,” said Ian Bond, of the CER. “Although in the winter it would be true that Europe would freeze before Gazprom went bankrupt, in the summer Europe has more levers."

Ukraine: Unclear how far Putin is willing to go

02 May 2014
CNBC
CER's Ian Bond, director of foreign policy, comments on Ukraine following the launch of the government's operation to retake control in eastern parts of the country.

European Parliament faces shrinking middle in election

01 May 2014
The Wall Street Journal
"The most important thing about these elections is the impact they could have on domestic parties, especially in the UK and France," said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think-tank.