Democracy Impacts

UK Court: Parliament Must Trigger Brexit Process

November 03, 2016

The UK High Court has held that the decision of the country's electorate to leave the EU, as expressed in the outcome of Britain's June referendum, did not grant the UK government authority to trigger Brexit without parliamentary approval.
Swiss Officials Reject Second Immigration Referendum

October 31, 2016

The Local reports that the Swiss Government has rejected a petition for a second referendum on whether the country should limit migration from the EU, as campaigners seek to nullify the results of a 2014 vote in favor of renegotiating agreements with the bloc to return control of the country's migration policy to national institutions.
EU Prepares to Ramp up Defense Spending

October 31, 2016

As EU leaders call for greater military cooperation following the UK's exit from the bloc, CNBC reports that the European Parliament is preparing to vote on a "Preparatory Action for Defense Research" budget plan that would allocate, for the first time, EU funds for military research over the next three years.
British MP Proposes Sunset Clause for EU Laws

October 26, 2016

In response to the UK Prime Minister's "Great Repeal Bill," which would translate EU laws into UK law following the UK's exit from the bloc, British Member of Parliament Grant Shapps has proposed a "sunset clause" that would automatically end the application of EU law in the UK five years after Brexit.
Experts: US Must Combat Development of EU Army

October 26, 2016

Luke Coffey and Nile Gardiner of the Heritage Foundation call for the US to discourage EU efforts to ramp up defense cooperation and move toward the formation of an EU army, arguing that such structures merely duplicate the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and that Europeans should not grant war powers to "unelected, unaccountable, supranational bureaucrats in Brussels."
EU Pressures Eastern Partnership on Climate Action

October 24, 2016

At their first formal ministerial meeting on environmental issues, officials from the EU and the bloc's Eastern Partnership countries adopted a declaration pledging cooperation on climate change and sustainable development and calling on Eastern Partnership countries to develop a regional "action plan" on furthering environmentally friendly policies.
EU Reports on Progress Toward "Security Union"

October 24, 2016

The European Commission's first monthly report on progress toward the establishment of a "Security Union" to combat terrorism across the EU focuses on efforts by EU institutions and member states to push through reforms on border security, firearms restrictions, passenger name records, and other items on the Commission's security agenda.
Economist Calls for Austrian Exit from EU

October 19, 2016

Chris Tomlinson writes that economist and academic Hans-Werner Sinn has argued that, in response to the increased risk of countries with poorer economies dominating EU institutions following Britain's exit from the bloc, Austria should leave the EU by canceling the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 and, in return for rejoining, demand reforms to the way the Union works.
German Court Rejects CETA Challenge

October 19, 2016

The BBC reports that Germany's Constitutional Court has rejected a legal challenge to the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement in which opponents of the deal argued that it would violate the country's constitution by partly taking effect before all EU national parliaments approve it.
Major EU Powers Seek Post-Brexit Military Structure

October 19, 2016

EUobserver reports that France, Germany, Italy, and Spain have drafted a letter to other EU member states setting out their plan to create a "permanent" and "autonomous" European structure to launch military missions following the UK's exit from the bloc.