Since 2020, when the UK left the European Union, British public opinion has moved in only one direction. More and more British voters are coming to realise that Brexit was a major error. The promises of its advocates remain undelivered and will continue remain undelivered in any foreseeable future, writes Brendan Donnelly. This radical shift…
Politics
Jeffrey Sachs in the Italian Parliament.
The growing popularity of Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs in Europe is causing mixed feelings in political circles. His most recent appearance was in Rome, 20 June. He presented his views to a group of Italian MPs and a group of observers on the war in Ukriane at a conference entitled “The European and Italian…
Do Postal Votes Work?
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash Campaign groups New Europeans UK and Unlock Democracy have teamed up with the British Overseas Voters Forum for an investigation into how well the postal system will perform for Britons abroad voting in the UK General Election on 4 July. It comes after the head of the British Overseas Voters Forum, Bruce…
Brussels Campaign to Register Voters
Photo by Phil Scroggs on Unsplash One in three residents in Brussels are not Belgian and, in some areas of the city, it is almost half. But up to 285,000 in Brussels could vote in the 2024 municipal elections which are important as they dictate how local policies are enforced in the coming years. Now a campaign has…
Weber Re-Elected Chairman of EPP
Veteran German MEP Manfred Weber has again been elected as leader of the biggest group in the EU parliament. Weber is a long serving German deputy from the CSU – Christlich Soziale Union – political party and a well known figure in EU circles. He was re-elected chairman of the EPP Group in the European…
Will France Return to the Politics of Hate, Nationalism and Xenophobia?
Photo by Dawid Małecki on Unsplash The European Parliament elections with their low turn outs, unknown politicians, and use as a protest vote against incumbent governments have exploded into life with the decision of President Macron to dissolve the French Parliament, writes Denis MacShane. In effect he is holding a plebiscite asking the French people and indirectly the…
Far Right Gains in France a Pivotal Moment
Photo by Pedro Lastra on Unsplash Gains by the far right in last week’s EU elections are “deeply concerning”, says former UK MEP Claude Moraes The far right held their positions in Italy and the Netherlands (with swings between far-right parties rather than to them). But they failed to make headway in other countries where they were predicted…
Shock Waves in French Politics
Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash The European Green Party says it is “outraged” by the reported agreement between Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National and Les Républicains in France. The last 72 hours in French politics have been described as the “wildest” of a lifetime. It all started with the outcome of the EU elections at the weekend…
No Right Wing Coalition in New Parliament?
Photo by ev on Unsplash The “much hyped” rise of the Far Right in the EU election was “limited,” says a former British Labour MEP. Richard Corbett was speaking after nationalist parties in some EU countries made a significant impact in the weekend’s election. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally won about 32% of the vote and hard-Right Italian…
European Political Centre Holds Balance of Power
A respected Brussels political pundit says he is relieved that predictions of a major breakthrough for Far Right parties in the EU elections was not realised. Some nationalist parties did score heavily in certain EU member states such as France, Italy and Germany. But the centre right EPP group is still by far the biggest…