The European Commission: The Celebration Of Confusion
The European Commission’s White Book on the future of Europe provides a modest and confused contribution to the discussion which should lead to the Statement
Month: March 2017
Reconstructing The European Union
The European Union is in deep need of a restructuring. The EU is either reconstructed – or the crisis continues. EU will not, however, collapse;
Citizen’s Work Or Citizen’s Income
Le Monde has good reason to claim that the idea of a “universal basic income” (UBI) or “citizen’s income”, which in these times of unrestrained
The Strange Non-Death Of Public Welfare Spending
In 2013 Colin Crouch wrote a noted book entitled The strange non-death of neoliberalism. In it he discussed why neoliberalism had managed to avoid being killed
Crisis Of Governance: EU Democratic Deficit
In the wake of the Brexit referendum and with the Greek government once more facing the possibility of a forced Grexit, the limitations of EU
Realism About Trumpism
Little more than a month after US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, it has become clear that nothing good will come of his presidency. Unfortunately, the
Poland And Brexit
Brexit means that Poland is losing a key EU ally. Both countries shared a similar vision of an expanded single market combined with a reluctance
Northern Ireland Elections: Warning Light For May’s Brexit Plans
The British prime minister, Theresa May, does not take time off from her responsibilities in London to travel to Scotland – even to address the
Reducing Europe’s Gender Employment Gap
One of the common values that unites the European Union is that of equal opportunities: all citizens should have the same possibility to improve their
Trump To The Rescue Of Europe
The Chinese aren’t the only ones Donald Trump picks on when it comes to international trade. He is also going after the Germans for their
More To Macron Than Ideological Ambiguity
When asked where he stands on the left-right axis, Emmanuel Macron gives a long answer along these lines: “I come from the left, but I
Do We Need Another Renault To Wake Us Up?
Exactly 20 years ago today, the very first European-wide strike was organized. In all Renault plants workers suspended work for one hour in protest against
Commission White Paper Option Six: A Europe of Democracy And Social Justice
The White Paper by Jean-Claude Juncker on 1 March 2017 is a poor answer to the crisis of the European Union. In response, I am proposing that
Basic Income’s Radical Role
Most misunderstandings concerning basic income arise from exaggeration about what it can or ought to achieve. This is illustrated in reasonable points raised by Ruth Lister
Unconditional Basic Income Is A Dead End
The concept of an unconditional basic income is becoming increasingly popular among economists, managers, activists and entrepreneurs as an alternative to traditional social policy. Instead