The European Central Bank: A Central Bank Operating In A Democratic Void
To say that the Euro is facing existential threats is no exaggeration. The European single currency was hailed until not too long ago as an
Politics
Analysis and debate on European and national politics, democracy, the rule of law, parties and elections, and Europe’s place in the world.
Czechs Too Are Losing Faith In The EU
With the fall of Communist rule in 1989, the main goal of Czech foreign policy was to obtain membership of the EU. This finally materialized
In Political Discourse, The Head and Heart Go Hand In Hand
Facts matter in this referendum. Yet politics has always been about feelings and emotion as much as statistics and experience. Why else, for instance, would
Building A Good Europe
This week Britain faces a defining choice about our relationship with the EU. The hope, imagination and compassion we so desperately needed have been drowned
Missing Topic In #EUref: Neo-liberalism Gone Too Far
As the referendum campaign nears its end, one central issue is remarkable for its absence, despite the fact that it has been a major contributor
The New Skills Agenda: Does it Do Enough?
The European Commission has just published its so-called New Skills Agenda. I welcome this initiative as it addresses many of the challenges of tomorrow’s labour
A New Economic Paradigm To Fight Populism
If the polls tell the truth, 86 percent of the Austrian blue-collar workers voted for the right-wing populist Norbert Hofer in the Austrian presidential elections
Trade Union Recipe For A Strong Economy And Workers’ Rights
The Commission’s latest so-called Country Specific Recommendations on strengthening the European economy show a slightly greater emphasis on social issues: a welcome (if inadequate) shift,
Brexit, Labour Rights And Migration: What’s Really At Stake
The final days of the UK referendum debate look set to be dominated by social policy, centred on the question of migration, but not confined
Immigration Benefits Are Underestimated
Immigration seems to be a very good thing if you look at economic research, and not just in terms of benefits for public finances in
Brexit and the Globalization Trilemma
I have not written much on Brexit because I do not have a strong or particularly well-informed view of it. My personal hope is that
I Am Scottish, British And European And Happy To Remain So
I am Scottish, British and European and happy to remain so. I am, mostly, proud of all these things. I left Scotland more than 40
Remain And Renegotiate! How To Stop The Brexit Bandwagon
Three Labour figures — Tom Watson, Ed Balls and Tristram Hunt — have, in the past 24 hours, called for a revision to the EU
The Decline Of The European Empire
While Europe was engrossed in facing up to the Euro crisis, all around it the greatest refugee crisis since the Second World War was deepening.
The Brexit Paradoxes – Energy
The Brexit debate is a paradox. The motivations are political, but most of the argument has been about economics. The case for Brexit has been
Confronting The Global Threat To Democracy
Across the world, populists are attracting votes with their promises to protect ordinary people from the harsh realities of globalization. The democratic establishment, they assert,