Democracy Impacts

EU Official Eyes Extending Brexit Transition to 2022

November 20, 2018

The Guardian reports that, as British politicians vigorously debate a draft deal for the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU, the European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has offered to push to delay Britain’s exit from EU regulations and budget payments until over six years after the UK vote to leave the bloc.
Merkel, Macron Agree on Need for European Army

November 14, 2018

The Guardian reports that, in a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has joined French President Emmanuel Macron in calling for the future creation of a "real, true European army."
EC Considers Majority Voting for EU Tax Policy

October 31, 2018

EUobserver reports that the European Commission (EC) has included in its 2019 work program the consideration of areas in which the EU could move away from the requirement of unanimous approval of tax rules in favor of “more efficient lawmaking” on supranational tax policies.
EU Official Fears “Violent Reaction” to Acceptance of Italian Budget

October 17, 2018

Politico reports that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned in a recent interview that EU officials could reject the proposed budget of Italy, which violates the deficit limit imposed under eurozone rules, because acceptance of the budget might provoke a “violent reaction” in other eurozone countries.
EU Budget Suggests Rising Brexit "Divorce" Bill

October 10, 2018

Citing rising EU spending plans and pension costs over the last year and the acknowledgment by EU auditors that annual budget fees for members are “moveable,” an article in The Guardian raises the likelihood that the Brexit “divorce” bill agreed by the EU and UK will escalate in the coming years.
UK Official Pledges End to EU Free-Movement Rules

October 03, 2018

The Daily Mail reports that UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid has promised that post-Brexit Britain will replace the EU principles of free movement, allowing all citizens of EU member states to immigrate to the UK, with laws focusing on attracting high-skilled migrants from across the globe to the country.
EC Warns Against National-Level Brexit Talks

September 05, 2018

Politico reports that, after the European Commission’s (EC) chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier rejected the UK government’s latest proposal on post-Brexit relations, the EC has called on national officials not to engage in bilateral talks on “mini deals” with the UK as British officials seek leverage in averting a “no-deal” Brexit.
Italy Challenges EU Control over National Priorities

August 31, 2018

An article in The Economist characterizes the Italian government’s ongoing dispute with the EU over the redistribution throughout the multinational bloc of migrants arriving in Italy as one flashpoint in a broader conflict in which the country is challenging the EU’s control over national budgetary and other priorities.
Article: Greek Travails Reveal Drawbacks of EU Technocracy

August 30, 2018

An article in The Economist characterizes the Greek bailouts, and the ongoing stagnation of the Greek economy, as an example of EU’s technocratic and undemocratic tendencies to impose misguided solutions on struggling member states and to defer the most difficult decisions until moments of crisis.
UK Official: “No Deal” Brexit May Still Require Divorce Payment

August 30, 2018

UK Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has stated that, even if Britain fails to reach a deal with the EU on post-Brexit relations, it may still adhere to plans to pay an agreed “divorce bill” of approximately £39 billion, though there would be a question regarding the precise “shape” of these financial obligations.