Democracy Impacts

Official Seeks "Next Level" of EU Integration

February 14, 2017

In a letter to leaders of EU institutions and member states in advance of a recent Rome summit on the future of the bloc, President of the European Council Donald Tusk called for the leaders to "raise European integration to the next level" to counter external, geopolitical threats and internal EU dissension regarding the need for strong national sovereignty.
UK Signals Job Requirement for Future EU Migrants

February 14, 2017

The Telegraph reports that UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd has indicated her government's post-Brexit immigration policy will likely focus on restricting the entry into Britain of EU migrants who do not yet have employment in the country.
UK Clears Major Hurdle on Brexit Bill

February 08, 2017

Politico reports that the UK House of Commons has passed a bill permitting British Prime Minister Theresa May to notify the EU of the government's intent to leave the bloc and granting officials broad discretion in negotiating the terms of a post-Brexit deal with EU members.
EU Resolution Seeks Better Rabbit Treatment

February 03, 2017

As the EU faces crises ranging from uncontrolled migration to security to the exit of the UK from the bloc, the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee has adopted a resolution calling for EU member states to pass legislation containing "minimum standards on the protection of rabbits" in their agricultural systems.
EU Shields Lawmaking from Public Scrutiny

February 01, 2017

EUobserver reports that critics are raising objections to the growing trend of EU institutions bypassing a portion of the legislative process opening up proposed laws to public consumption and debate, arguing that the alternative "trilogue" procedure, in which the institutions work out legislative differences behind closed doors, obstructs democratic accountability.
Romanian President Decries "Europhobia" at CoE

February 01, 2017

In a speech before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (CoE), Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis linked the threats of "populism, radicalism, xenophobia and Europhobia" to both the EU and CoE and called for governments to "fight them with all our force, using all the instruments and mechanisms available."
UK Party Amendments Push Back on Brexit

January 31, 2017

The Herald reports that the Scottish National Party plans to include in a set of at least 50 proposals for amendments to the British Government's bill on triggering negotiations to exit the EU a "reset clause" that would force the UK to remain in the EU if it fails to reach an agreement on its post-Brexit relationship with the bloc.
Scottish Party Seeks to Stymie Brexit Bill

January 30, 2017

The New York Times reports that, in an attempt to slow down the Brexit process, the Scottish National Party (SNP) has promised to submit at least 50 amendments to the British Government's brief bill granting Prime Minister Theresa May the authority to trigger the country's departure from the EU.
UK Plans to Withdraw from EU Nuclear Agency

January 30, 2017

Politico reports that the British Government has included in its notes on the bill that would trigger the UK's departure from the EU that it plans to withdraw from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), charged with monitoring the safety and security of European nuclear resources, as part of Brexit.
Article: Brexit Will Proceed Despite Court Ruling

January 30, 2017

Henry Newman of UK think tank Open Europe writes that, while the UK Supreme Court case decided last week on who has the authority to trigger the country's exit from the EU will have implications for the constitutional powers of the executive, political maneuvering by the British Government has made it less likely that the ruling will have a significant impact on Brexit.