Category Archives: European Union

Europe, European Union, Government, Politics, Society, Uncategorized

EU celebrates 60th anniversary

EUROPEAN UNION

EU leaders

European Union leaders in Rome marked the 60th anniversary of their founding treaty.

Britain’s absence from the EU’s 60th birthday celebrations is “a sad moment”, EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker has said.

The president of the European Commission also restated his view that the UK’s departure from the bloc after more than 40 years was “a tragedy”.

Mr Juncker was speaking at a meeting of the remaining 27 member states in Rome to mark the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the founding agreement of the EU.

Britain is set to trigger Article 50 next Wednesday that will start the formal two-year divorce proceedings from Brussels.

As he arrived at the anniversary ceremony, Mr Juncker said: “It is a very sad moment, I do think that the Brexit, the exit of Britain, is a tragedy.”

But he believed the EU was strong enough to see through the challenges it faced from economic problems and the migration crisis to the terrorist threat and rise of populist anti-Europe movements.

Recalling how the new Europe was built from the ashes of World War II, he said: “Daunting as they are, the challenges we face today are in no way comparable to those faced by the founding fathers.”

EU Council President Donald Tusk also called on government heads to be strong.

He said: “Prove today that you are the leaders of Europe, that you can care for this great legacy we inherited from the heroes of European integration 60 years ago.

“Europe as a political entity will either be united, or will not be at all. Only a united Europe can be a sovereign Europe in relation to the rest of the world.

“Only a sovereign Europe guarantees independence for its nations, guarantees freedom for its citizens.”

Pope Francis had earlier warned on the eve of the summit that the crisis-hit bloc “risks dying” without a new vision.

Meanwhile, Washington has congratulated the EU on its 60th birthday, in a shift in tone for President Donald Trump’s administration which has been sceptical towards Brussels.

A White House statement said: “Our two continents share the same values and, above all, the same commitment to promote peace and prosperity through freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.”

Security was tight at the Rome meeting with snipers on rooftops, drones in the skies and 3,000 police officers on the streets following the terror attack in London on Wednesday.

Standard
Britain, European Union, Government, Politics, Society

Government contingencies needed if Brexit fails to deliver a trade deal

BRITAIN

Intro: We will all shortly find out precisely where we stand as Theresa May triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty

In an era of political turbulence, the weeks and months ahead promise to be momentous in recent British history. The passage of the Parliamentary Bill to begin the process of leaving the EU is now complete. The legislative reality of the bill will now make possible the decision that was taken by the British electorate almost nine months ago.

Some people argue that this process has taken far too long, but the political upheaval that followed the referendum and the protracted court case over parliamentary sovereign rights have delayed matters. In many ways, though, this should have been hugely advantageous for the Government. It has had time to prepare for what promises to be the most complex set of international negotiations since we sought entry into the Common Market and EEC in the early Seventies. Indeed, given the complexities, they will pale into insignificance by comparison with what lies ahead for the British prime minister and her team.

A report from the Commons foreign affairs committee urged the Government to devise a contingency plan in the event of Britain leaving the EU with no deal and said it would be a ‘dereliction of duty’ not to prepare for such an eventuality. This point is well borne out if we consider that reverting to basic World Trade Organisation rules will leave us facing trade barriers and increasing levels of tariffs on trade. The country clearly needs to know before we leave what a “no deal” will entail.

The biggest danger is that British pragmatism will clash with EU romanticism. While a deal allowing British goods and services the same access to the single market they enjoy now is in everyone’s interests, this won’t necessarily be the view held on the Continent, especially in Brussels.

There is a risk that this process, once handed over to the European Commission by the Council of Ministers, will become enmired in the very bureaucracy that led Britain to lose faith in the whole project. While some of Europe’s elected politicians might be inclined to recognise the good sense of a British position they will likely become too distracted by their own domestic politics to focus on ours.

Undoubtedly, The Commission will have huge influence over these talks, how they are handled and the direction in which they travel. Jean-Claude Juncker and Michel Barnier, the Commission principals in charge of the EU negotiations, will be anxious to deny the UK anything that might encourage others across the EU which they too might wish to emulate. The rise of populist movements across Europe, particularly in the wake of Brexit and Donald Trump’s election victory in America, will weigh heavily.

While most should wish for a mutually beneficially agreement, the Government must prepare fully for the possibility that there won’t be a trade deal. The time for further discussion is almost over – even if Scotland continues with its position of holding a second Scottish independence referendum.

We will all shortly find out precisely where we stand as Theresa May triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Standard
Britain, European Union, Government, Politics, Society

View: Sir John Major and the Brexit vote

BRITAIN

john-major2

Intro: Crucially, however, if Sir John accepts the democratic decision, his counsel would surely be better deployed by helping Theresa May achieve the best possible deal for Britain

IN the space of just ten days, we have had two high profile speeches from two former British prime ministers. Both have entered the Brexit fray at a critical moment in the passage of the Article 50 Bill through Parliament.

First, Tony Blair, the former Labour prime minister, has called for a mass movement to overturn the result of the June 23 plebiscite. Mr Blair is orchestrating his campaign through a new foundation, a lobby group, titled Open Britain. Now, Sir John Major, the former Conservative prime minister, has waded into the debate. Sir John warns of all sorts of pitfalls ahead as Britain negotiates its exit from the European Union.

The former Conservative leader does not follow his successor in Downing Street by proposing a campaign to reverse the democratic decision of the electorate. Unlike Mr Blair, Sir John says that while he considers Brexit to be a ‘historic mistake’ it was one the British people were entitled to make.

John Major’s principal concern is with what he regards as the over-optimistic and rather simplistic expectations of those who desire a clean break with Europe. He fears for the future of the United Kingdom if Scotland were to hold another independence referendum, as well as for peace in Northern Ireland. Sir John says trade deals will be hard to achieve, the cost of leaving the EU will be substantial and that there will be long-term political consequences.

All of these points were made by various factions within the Remain camp during the referendum campaign, but the vote went against them. Sir John says that Remainers are howled down when they continue to express their opposition to Brexit, inferring an impingement against the traditions of free speech in Britain. Some will believe that Sir John’s protests are overexuberant.

One reason why some Brexiteers are overreacting to the criticisms of the referendum result is because they believe efforts are under way to reverse it. Indeed, some have argued that Mr Blair is leading those efforts in consort with Sir John Major.

Crucially, however, if Sir John accepts the democratic decision, his counsel would surely be better deployed by helping Theresa May achieve the best possible deal for Britain.

Standard