Research
Poland’s poll and the EU treaty
24 August 2007
Poland’s early election may coincide with the last days of talks on the new EU Reform Treaty. Although the Kaczynskis are unlikely to reopen a deal agreed in June on the treaty's content, last minute political posturing for a home audience could delay the text being signed off.
Europe in the US-UK special relationship
02 August 2007
Gordon Brown scarcely mentioned Europe during his visit to the United States, certainly much less than Tony Blair used to. That is understandable.
Reciprocity will not secure Europe’s energy
01 August 2007
As Moscow growls angrily at the West, Europeans are becoming more worried about their energy supplies. Will Russia be willing to sell us the gas we need to heat our houses and power our industries? Will it be able to?
The EU should talk to Hamas
01 August 2007
In Britain, senior diplomats are mulling over whether to revise the government’s policy of not talking to Hamas. Until now Britain has staunchly defended the EU policy of opposing talks with Hamas. That policy, shared by the other members of the ‘quartet’ – the UN, the US and Russia...
Re-imagining EU development aid
01 August 2007
Imagine the Berlaymont late at night. A full moon hangs in the sky. High up in the building, an office lamp still shines. It illuminates four people. They are sprawled comfortably in armchairs for an intimate conversation. The four lead the EU on international affairs.
Issue 55 - 2007
27 July 2007
- The EU should talk to Hamas, Charles Grant, Clara Marina O'Donnell
- Re-imagining EU development aid, Simon Maxwell
- Reciprocity will not secure Europe’s energy , Katinka Barysch
Where next for Turkey?
24 July 2007
Some of Turkey’s critics say that it has no place in the EU because it is not a European country. Others criticise the quality of its democracy.
Russia, realism and EU unity
20 July 2007
The Litvinenko murder case is only one of a growing number of disputes between the Kremlin and EU countries. But the EU has been slow to reassess its relations with a more autocratic and assertive Russia. Divisions within the EU have not helped.
Of mice, men and the language of EU reform
18 July 2007
Beware the humourless, especially in politics. At a CER/Clifford Chance conference last week, Guiliano Amato, Italy’s interior minister, pronounced that the Reform Treaty was a return to familiar territory for the EU: an unreadable treaty.
The EU should talk to Hamas
11 July 2007
The conspicuous role of Hamas in the recent release of Alan Johnston was not only good news for the BBC correspondent. Hamas showed that it cares about how it is perceived abroad, that it wants to be considered a credible actor, and that it hopes to end its international isolation.
Portugal's presidency
09 July 2007
On 1 July 2007, Portugal took over the EU's rotating presidency from Germany. Angela Merkel's six months at the helm will be a tough act to follow.
Why Europeans don’t have babies
29 June 2007
Europeans live longer, work less and have fewer babies. On current trends, the EU will not have enough workers to pay for its growing number of pensioners.
Hurrah for an end to EU navel gazing
28 June 2007
European leaders will open negotiations on a new EU 'reform treaty' on 23 July 2007. At a cliffhanger summit last weekend, German Chancellor Angela Merkel worked hard to accommodate national concerns that threaten to derail the new treaty.
What the summit says about the EU
26 June 2007
At 4.30am on Saturday 23rd June, after 36 hours of wrangling, EU leaders agreed on a deal to revive parts of the failed EU constitutional treaty.
EU business and Turkish accession
22 June 2007
Many EU politicians and their voters are unsure about the merits of Turkish accession. Europe’s entrepreneurs are not. They are showing confidence by investing billions into the fast-growing Turkish economy, partly because they expect that EU accession will continue to change the country for the better.
What do you do with a problem like Poland?
21 June 2007
Behind the scenes, Angela Merkel has striven to get agreement on a mandate for treaty change ahead of this week’s EU summit. She has by now dealt with concerns of most of the key players in the debate – France, the Netherlands and the UK.
Serbia's European choice
19 June 2007
Serbia's accession prospects are looking up, following the formation of a new government in Belgrade and the resumption of SAA talks with the EU. However, disagreements over Kosovo could quickly derail the process again.
Turkey before the election
15 June 2007
I have recently come back from Turkey, where the mood is a mixture of relief, hope and anxiety: relief that the army has remained in the barracks; hope that the early election in July will result in a workable compromise between the AKP and the secularists; and anxiety that the crisis that started in April has done lasting damage to Turkish society and its political system.
G8 and world politics
11 June 2007
Angela Merkel can be content with the outcome of the G8 summit in Heiligendamm which she chaired with her by now characteristic mix of modesty, determination and pragmatism.
European choices for Gordon Brown
01 June 2007
Gordon Brown becomes prime minister at a pivotal moment for the European Union. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have emerged as powerful European leaders.