Democracy Impacts

UK Leader Welcomes Polish Intervention on Brexit “Backstop”

January 22, 2019

Reuters reports that UK Prime Minister Theresa May has expressed interest in working with Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz on his suggestion that the “backstop” requirement in the Brexit deal to maintain EU regulations in Northern Ireland be limited to five years, though Ireland had already rejected any time limit on the backstop.
German Chancellor Seeks Common EU Defense Policy

January 21, 2019

Reuters reports that, in recent remarks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has supported a common EU defense policy with a specific focus on the joint development of weapons systems.
UK Leader Denies Ability to Rule out “No Deal” Brexit

January 21, 2019

The Guardian reports that UK Prime Minister Theresa May has asserted in a letter to opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn that it is “impossible” to rule out a scenario in which Britain leaves the EU without a withdrawal deal, while her office stated that she continues to reject the options of a second referendum and remaining in a customs union with the EU.
UK Official: Lawmakers Could Rescind Brexit Notice to Prevent “No Deal”

January 17, 2019

The Guardian reports that, in a telephone briefing for business leaders, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond asserted that the British Parliament could take the prospect of a “no deal” Brexit off the table by rescinding the notification of the UK’s intent to withdraw from the EU.
EC Delays Plans to End Veto for EU Tax Legislation

January 16, 2019

Reuters reports that the European Commission (EC) has delayed until the year 2025 plans for an end to the EU requirement of unanimous member state approval to amend the bloc’s tax rules, which would ease the bloc’s plan to introduce a tax on corporate digital revenues.
Auditors Push for Access to ECB Records on Bank Supervision

January 16, 2019

The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has published a press release pushing EU lawmakers to force the European Central Bank (ECB) to open up its records to ECA scrutiny and allow proper auditing of the ECB’s banking supervision across the bloc.
AfD Manifesto Includes EU Withdrawal Threat

January 16, 2019

The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party in Germany has included in its manifesto calls for the abolition of the European Parliament and for Germany to withdraw from the EU if the bloc fails to meet AfD’s demands for reform.
UK Parliament Votes Down EU Withdrawal Deal

January 15, 2019

The UK Parliament voted today to reject a deal struck by Prime Minister Theresa May and EU negotiators on the terms of Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc, in what the BBC reports was “the largest defeat for a sitting government in history.”
EU Rejects Time Limit for Brexit Deal “Backstop”

January 15, 2019

The Guardian reports that, prior to the UK Parliament’s rejection of Prime Minister Theresa May’s negotiated withdrawal deal with the EU, the British government published an exchange in which EU leaders turned down proposals to set a time limit for the deal’s “backstop,” under which the UK could be forced to remain indefinitely within EU structures.
British PM Warns Defeat of EU Deal Could Halt Brexit

January 15, 2019

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has warned euroskeptics that the defeat of the British government’s EU withdrawal deal in the House of Commons, by leaving only a “no deal” Brexit option on the table, could ultimately prompt Members of Parliament to halt the Brexit process.