Britain & EU member-states
What happens if Britain votes No?: Ten ways out of a constitutional crisis
01 February 2005
If the rest of the EU adopts the constitutional treaty but the British vote against it, the Union faces crisis and instability. Charles Grant looks at what may happen next. Would there be a second referendum, or an attempt to renegotiate the treaties?
Will the French vote 'Non'
01 February 2005
President Jacques Chirac recently declared that the French referendum on the EU's constitutional treaty would take place "before the summer", and not in the second half of 2005 as previously planned.
Issue 40 - 2005
28 January 2005
- Europe's transformative power, Mark Leonard
- Making multilateralism work, Lord Hannay
- Will the French vote 'Non', Aurore Wanlin
Three cheers for EU democracy
01 December 2004
When José Manuel Durao Barroso - under intense pressure from the European Parliament - was forced to withdraw his proposed Commission in late October, many journalists were quick to portray the event as yet another EU crisis.
A new era in European democracy
01 October 2004
The era of European integration by stealth is over. At least nine EU countries are committed to holding a referendum on the new constitutional treaty.
Issue 38 - 2004
24 September 2004
- Learning to live with the new Russia, Charles Grant
- Energy security: A new agenda for Europe, Nick Butler
- A new era in European democracy, Steven Everts, Daniel Keohane
The peculiarities of the British
02 August 2004
In most European countries, those who dislike the EU tend to be the poor and the less educated, who fear for their future and travel little. The politicians who speak for such people tend to come from the far left or far right.
If Britain votes no ...
01 June 2004
Some people claim to know what will happen if a British referendum defeats the European constitutional treaty. Michael Howard, the Conservative leader, points out that the treaty cannot enter into force unless it is ratified by every member-state.
Jobs for the boys
02 February 2004
Last year may have been an annus horribilis for the EU, but 2004 looks set to be just as divisive. In between negotiating a new EU budget and a possible starting date for Turkey's accession negotiations, EU leaders have to choose a new Commission president.
Poland: the EU's new awkward partner
02 February 2004
As a former member of Poland's communist Politburo, Leszek Miller has little in common with Margaret Thatcher or John Major. But the Polish prime minister has adopted very similar negotiating tactics in the EU.
Issue 34 - 2004
30 January 2004
- Jobs for the boys, Steven Everts
- Poland: the EU's new awkward partner, Heather Grabbe
- Policing public sector aid, Alasdair Murray
Should Britain hold a referendum on the EU Constitution?
01 January 2004
Dear Charles,
European leaders are busy drawing up a constitution which will set out what tasks the EU should and should not perform; clarify who is responsible for what; and specify how the EU takes decisions. Once governments have agreed a final text, the question becomes: how should each country...
European leaders are busy drawing up a constitution which will set out what tasks the EU should and should not perform; clarify who is responsible for what; and specify how the EU takes decisions. Once governments have agreed a final text, the question becomes: how should each country...
Issue 39 - 2004
28 November 2003
- President Bush: Why you need the Europeans, Charles Grant, Steven Everts
- The EU and China, Katinka Barysch
- Three cheers for EU democracy, Alasdair Murray
Issue 33 - 2003
28 November 2003
- Is Europe working? , Katinka Barysch
- Should Britain hold a referendum on the EU Constitution?, Steven Everts and Charles Grant
- A joined-up EU security policy , Daniel Keohane and Adam Townsend
Holidays in hell (and Hanover)
04 August 2003
August used to provide a rare opportunity for Europe's political elite to escape the limelight. For a few weeks, EU leaders could catch up on their reading - or sleep - and spend some quality time with long-suffering families.
Issue 31 - 2003
25 July 2003
- Tough love for the EU's Eastern neighbours, Heather Grabbe and Henning Tewes
- The way forward for European defence, Daniel Keohane
- Holidays in hell (and Hanover), Alasdair Murray
Britain and the euro: How to reap the benefits
06 June 2003
The British government predicts that joining the euro would boost domestic investment, employment and growth – provided the economic conditions are right. It has promised to implement measures to ensure that Britain will benefit from the euro.
Defrosting the entente glaciale
02 June 2003
When Britain and France fall out, they damage not only each other but also the United Nations, NATO and the EU's embryonic foreign and defence policy. So long as Jacques Chirac and Tony Blair remain leaders of rival European gangs, a harmonious transatlantic relationship is impossible.
The CER guide to Giscard's draft EU constitution
30 May 2003
The draft constitution for the EU published on 26 and 27 May 2003 has provoked a ferocious debate in the British press. However, on closer inspection, the text would not fundamentally change the UK’s position in the EU, and it secures nearly all of the British government’s key objectives.
Issue 30 - 2003
30 May 2003
- Clear skies across the Atlantic , Nick DeLuca
- An unconventional bargain , Steven Everts and Daniel Keohane
- Defrosting the entente glaciale, Charles Grant