Britain & EU member-states
Make German politics interesting again
18 August 2017
Merkel is disarming the SPD, which is too cautious to promise real change, while Die Linke’s radicalism is poisoning the SPD’s only possible route to power.
Why Brexiters should get behind Philip Hammond's transition
01 August 2017
A comprehensive transition that includes continued membership of the single market and customs union is ultimately in the interest of hardliners in the British government.
Brexit and the threat to Northern Ireland
20 July 2017
A hard Brexit risks many of the gains of twenty years of peace and cross-border co-operation in Northern Ireland. Only a special EU status can stop the rot.
The Hartz myth: Drawing lessons from Germany
20 July 2017
Germany's Hartz labour market reforms were no miracle cure. Rather than copying them, the rest of Europe should learn more nuanced lessons from the German experience.
What the German elections mean for Europe
20 July 2017
Germany's next chancellor won't be able to govern alone. A coalition of parties with differing views on Eurozone reform and German military power will shape Berlin's Europe policy after the election.
Bulletin Issue 115 - August/September 2017
20 July 2017
- Brexit and the threat to Northern Ireland, Edward Burke
- The Hartz myth: Drawing lessons from Germany, Christian Odendahl
- What the German elections mean for Europe, Sophia Besch
Arrested development: Why Brexit Britain cannot keep the European Arrest Warrant
10 July 2017
The European Arrest Warrant (EAW) has made it easier for the UK to extradite criminals. But once it leaves the EU, Britain will find it almost impossible to negotiate as good an arrangement as the EAW.
Ulster's fight, Ulster's rights? Brexit, Northern Ireland and the threat to British-Irish relations
07 July 2017
Brexit risks destabilising the peace process in Northern Ireland. The EU and UK may need to agree on a special status for the Province.
The limits to Labour's 'constructive ambiguity' over Brexit
06 July 2017
Labour proposes a "jobs-first" and hard Brexit at the same time. This means the party can't capitalise on the Tories' stewardship of the economy.
Brexit maze: The role of EU institutions in the negotiations
05 July 2017
Theresa May will be reluctant to openly discuss the difficult choices ahead of the UK. Citizens and business should look to the EU institutions for information about their future post-Brexit.
Britain prepares for a softer Brexit
27 June 2017
Britain’s general election has increased the chances of a ‘softer’ Brexit. But what would a softer Brexit look like? And could it include a customs union with the EU?
Hard Brexit, soft data: How to keep Britain plugged into EU databases
23 June 2017
Retaining full access to EU databases fighting crime and terrorism will not be easy for Britain. Any deal will require a role for the European Court of Justice and keeping EU privacy laws.
How should the EU react to Britain's general election?
15 June 2017
The EU-27 can force Britain's politicians to acknowledge Brexit’s trade-offs, by offering the British four options from which it must choose.
What does the election result mean for Brexit?
09 June 2017
Brexit barely figured in the UK's general election, but the result means that the country might yet have an election fought explicitly on the issue.
Why no deal would be much worse than a bad deal
24 May 2017
Theresa May and several of her ministers have claimed that no Brexit deal would be better than a poor deal. They are wrong.
Bulletin Issue 114 - June/July 2017
24 May 2017
- Why no deal would be much worse than a bad deal, John Springford, Simon Tilford
- Macron, Merkel and the future of the euro, Charles Grant
- Europe's forgotten refugee crisis, Camino Mortera-Martinez
A flexible EU: A new beginning or the beginning of the end?
18 May 2017
The EU needs to become more flexible if it is to tackle current and future challenges effectively. But it should do so transparently, and remain inclusive.
Good cop, bad cop: How to keep Britain inside Europol
16 May 2017
A post-Brexit deal on Europol should be relatively easy to negotiate. The UK could retain a special status, but the British government will need to make some concessions.
A prime minister unshackled
09 May 2017
Checks on prime ministerial power are weak in Britain – and Theresa May’s massive parliamentary majority after the general election will weaken them further. In the context of Brexit, this is dangerous.
How will Germany respond to Emmanuel Macron?
08 May 2017
Germany is divided on how to respond to Macron: some are wary of a new bargain to revive the Franco-German alliance, others are enthusiastic.