Democracy Impacts

UK Peer: House of Lords Risks Legitimacy on Brexit

February 21, 2017

The Daily Mail reports that, following the UK House of Commons' passage of a bill authorizing Prime Minister Theresa May to trigger negotiations over the country's exit from the EU, former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Lord Lamont warned that the House of Lords would risk its "survival" as an unelected body if it amended the bill to place conditions on Brexit.
Polish Leader Criticizes "Two-Speed" EU Approach

February 21, 2017

Head of the ruling Polish Law and Justice Party Jarosław Kaczyński has warned that the model of "two-speed" European integration recently suggested by several EU leaders, under which the federalization of Europe would take place more gradually in some member states than in others, would lead to the bloc's "breakdown."
Countries Offer Vision of More Flexible EU

February 21, 2017

The governments of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg have set out their "vision on the future of Europe" that includes restricting EU action to "core priorities" that are "based on the subsidiarity and proportionality principles" and permitting countries across the EU to proceed along "different paths of integration and enhanced cooperation."
Hungarian Official Criticizes Talk of Brexit "Punishment"

February 21, 2017

The Express reports that Zoltan Kovacs, spokesman for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has asserted that Hungary is seeking a "fair Brexit" and will not attempt to punish the UK for its decision to depart the EU by, for instance, contributing to plans to impose a financial penalty on Britain upon its exit.
EU Signals Insistence on UK Brexit Payment

February 21, 2017

The European Commission has signaled that it will insist on a UK financial contribution, which some experts peg at approximately 60 billion euros, to settle the country's budget commitments upon its departure from the EU.
Scottish Legislators Seek Separate EU Migration Deal

February 21, 2017

Politico reports that a committee of the Scottish Parliament, warning of the risks to the nation's economy posed by the potential departure of EU migrants and a future reduction in migration from the EU that may occur due to Brexit, has called on Scottish officials to pursue a migration deal with the EU that is less restrictive than that of the rest of the UK.
EU Council Recommends Continued Border Controls

February 20, 2017

The Council of the EU has once again recommended a three-month extension of controls along certain borders in the passport-free Schengen travel area to stem flows of "irregular migrants," but only as a "last resort" and after a dialogue between the member states at issue establishes that such controls are "necessary and proportionate."
EU Reports on Progress Toward "Circular Economy"

February 20, 2017

The European Commission has issued a report on its progress in implementing its Circular Economy Package, adopted last year, through such actions as establishing a Circular Economy Finance Support Platform with the European Investment Bank and pressuring EU members to take action on creating energy out of waste.
UK Court Turns back Challenge to EEA Exit

February 16, 2017

The Guardian reports that two judges on the UK High Court have rejected as premature a challenge to the Government's Brexit strategy in which claimants argue that British officials must follow procedures, separate from the EU exit process, to leave the bloc's "single market" (EEA).
EU Leaders Increasingly Embrace "Multi-Speed" Integration

February 16, 2017

Reuters reports that EU leaders meeting at a summit in Malta, while not accepting the possibility of halting "ever-closer union" or returning powers to member states, increasingly advocated a model of "multi-speed" integration that permits some EU members to move more slowly in giving away sovereignty to the supranational organization.