Democracy Impacts

Swiss Official Warns UK on Perils of Post-Brexit Trade Deal

March 29, 2016

Highlighting the dangers of a post-Brexit trade deal that keeps the UK bound tightly to the bloc in law and policy, Politico reports that the Swiss Ambassador to the EU Roberto Balzaretti has warned Britain that an exit from the EU could cause the country to lose its seat at the Brussels bargaining table while still requiring the government to abide by EU rules.
EU Parliament Accepts Legislative Transparency

March 23, 2016

Following promises of openness in light of the success of anti-EU parties in the 2014 elections, the European Parliament has agreed to new rules aimed at increasing transparency in lawmaking at EU institutions, including through environmental and social impact assessments for legislation.
Iceland PM: UK Has Diminishing Influence in EU

March 10, 2016

According to The Telegraph, the Prime Minister of Iceland Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson has warned that, in an EU where Germany increasingly controls the direction of policy, Britain is losing influence and would be unable to push market-friendly reforms through the EU institutions if it chooses to remain in the bloc.
Hague: EU Should Grant Turkey "Associate Membership"

March 09, 2016

Former UK foreign secretary William Hague has called on the EU to create a new category of "associate membership" that would encompass such countries as the UK and Turkey that do not wish to, or cannot, strive for "ever closer union" but do wish to maintain strong ties with the bloc.
Article: Crises Have Made EU's "Ever-Closer Union" Irrelevant

March 02, 2016

An article in The Economist argues that the promised separation of Britain from the language of "ever-closer union" in the EU treaties, negotiated by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, is increasingly irrelevant during a time when multiple crises, including the arrival of a massive number of migrants, are pulling EU countries apart.
Opponents Criticize UK's "Project Fact" on EU Membership

March 02, 2016

Supporters of Britain's exit from the EU, including Mayor of London Boris Johnson and several government ministers, have dismissed the findings of a UK Government report, called "Project Fact," asserting that the country faces a "decade of uncertainty" if it leaves the EU as "baloney."
Article: UK Must Shackle Itself to EU Political Union

March 02, 2016

Clive Crook writes in Bloomberg View that, although the British people disagree fundamentally with political integration with the EU, the economic costs and other "short-term risks" of leaving the bloc are too great to be overcome by the long-term prospects of a "loveless marriage" between the UK and the EU.
Telegraph Article Outlines Facts Related to Brexit

February 29, 2016

The Telegraph has published an article based on interviews with EU experts that compares the UK's current situation in the EU with what would likely occur if the British people voted to exit the bloc, including how such a decision would affect UK control over laws and policy.
Former Conservative Leader Seeks Vote for Brexit

February 29, 2016

Arguing that a vote to leave would lead to a renewed offer from other EU countries with better terms of membership for the UK, former leader of the Conservative Party Michael Howard has announced his support for Britain's vote to exit the EU in the upcoming referendum in June.
Eyeing UK Referendum, EU Delays Initiatives

February 26, 2016

Politico reports that leaders of EU institutions, concerned that their proposals may generate a rise in euroskepticism in Britain, have postponed action on a number of initiatives, including budget increases and accession to the European Convention on Human Rights, until after the UK referendum on EU membership has taken place.