Press

„Ideea care a stat la baza politicii europene de vecinătate, aceea că UE dorea să fie înconjurată de un cerc de prieteni, s-a dovedit a fi exagerat de optimistă. Am ajuns să fim înconjurați mai degrabă de un cerc de foc. Avem conflicte peste tot în jur”, declară pentru Panorama, Ian Bond, directorul adjunct al Centrului pentru Reformă Europeană (CER).

John Springford van het Centre for European Reform heeft een ruwe berekening gemaakt van de voordelen van zo'n reset. Hij is daarbij uitgegaan van de doelen die zowel het VK als de EU heeft vooropgesteld. Voorbeelden zijn de wederzijdse erkenning van beroepskwalificaties, een ‘veterinaire overeenkomst’ om de handelsbarrières voor voedsel en landbouwproducten te verlagen, en de mogelijkheid voor 18- tot 30-jarigen om vier jaar lang te migreren voor werk of studie.

At least, though, France seems to have “learned the lesson” that it needs “a credible, slow, fiscal tightening”, said economist John Springford of the Centre for European Reform. Germany, which needs tax and labour market reforms and public investment to raise spending, has yet to make that step, he said.

Charles Grant, the director of the Centre for European Reform, said the EU demands would be difficult for Starmer but could lead to long-term economic benefits. “Starmer’s reset is going to require him to do some politically difficult things which will undoubtedly anger the Conservatives and Reform,” he said.

Ian Bond, deputy director of the Centre for European Reform: “The fact the US has elected Trump in two elections out of three and that even Democratic administrations were focussing more on Asia than Europe shows that Europeans in future will have to look after their own defence and security.
“In those circumstances it makes sense for the UK and the EU to work together in those areas. They both have much more at stake in the war in Ukraine than the Trump administration believes America does.”

Ψύχραιμος έναντι δραματικών σεναρίων για την Ευρωζώνη εμφανίζεται και ο Σαντέρ Τορντουά, επικεφαλής οικονομολόγος του Centre for European Reform, στις Βρυξέλλες. «Η Γαλλία διαθέτει ισχυρή φορολογική βάση, συμπεριλαμβανομένων σημαντικού ιδιωτικού πλούτου, ισχυρών θεσμών, και δεν είναι εκτεθειμένη σε προβληματική ξένη χρηματοδότηση. Πιθανότατα δεν θα υπάρξει άμεση δημοσιονομική κρίση στο δεύτερο μεγαλύτερο κράτος-μέλος της Ε.Ε., πόσο μάλλον στην Ευρωζώνη», επισημαίνει.

The Centre for European Reform examines the lessons from the early stages of the EU implementing its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).