Democracy Impacts

EU Shields Lawmaking from Public Scrutiny

February 01, 2017

EUobserver reports that critics are raising objections to the growing trend of EU institutions bypassing a portion of the legislative process opening up proposed laws to public consumption and debate, arguing that the alternative "trilogue" procedure, in which the institutions work out legislative differences behind closed doors, obstructs democratic accountability.
Romanian President Decries "Europhobia" at CoE

February 01, 2017

In a speech before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (CoE), Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis linked the threats of "populism, radicalism, xenophobia and Europhobia" to both the EU and CoE and called for governments to "fight them with all our force, using all the instruments and mechanisms available."
UK Party Amendments Push Back on Brexit

January 31, 2017

The Herald reports that the Scottish National Party plans to include in a set of at least 50 proposals for amendments to the British Government's bill on triggering negotiations to exit the EU a "reset clause" that would force the UK to remain in the EU if it fails to reach an agreement on its post-Brexit relationship with the bloc.
Scottish Party Seeks to Stymie Brexit Bill

January 30, 2017

The New York Times reports that, in an attempt to slow down the Brexit process, the Scottish National Party (SNP) has promised to submit at least 50 amendments to the British Government's brief bill granting Prime Minister Theresa May the authority to trigger the country's departure from the EU.
UK Plans to Withdraw from EU Nuclear Agency

January 30, 2017

Politico reports that the British Government has included in its notes on the bill that would trigger the UK's departure from the EU that it plans to withdraw from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), charged with monitoring the safety and security of European nuclear resources, as part of Brexit.
Article: Brexit Will Proceed Despite Court Ruling

January 30, 2017

Henry Newman of UK think tank Open Europe writes that, while the UK Supreme Court case decided last week on who has the authority to trigger the country's exit from the EU will have implications for the constitutional powers of the executive, political maneuvering by the British Government has made it less likely that the ruling will have a significant impact on Brexit.
EU Official: UK Can Discuss Post-Brexit Trade Deals

January 30, 2017

European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans has stated that, during the negotiation process over the UK's departure from the EU, Britain can "talk to everyone" regarding post-Brexit free trade deals but is not permitted to sign such an agreement until it leaves the bloc.
Czech Minister Urges Deal with UK on Nationals' Status

January 27, 2017

The Czech Republic's interior minister Milan Chovanec has argued that, rather than waiting for an EU-UK deal to settle the issue, his government should negotiate an independent agreement with the UK on the status and rights of Czech nationals in the UK and British nationals in the Czech Republic.
Dissenting UK Justices Object to Involvement in Brexit

January 25, 2017

The Telegraph reports that the three UK Supreme Court Justices who dissented from the Court's decision this week that the British Government cannot formally notify the EU of its intent to leave without a vote from Parliament asserted that it was up to Parliament, and not the courts, to shape its role in the "political process" involved in Brexit negotiations.
UK Court: Parliament Must Trigger Brexit Process

January 25, 2017

The UK Supreme Court has held that, despite the outcome of a referendum held in June 2016 in which voters opted to leave the EU, constitutional principles do not permit the British Government to initiate negotiations on the country's exit from the EU without parliamentary approval.