In the Press - 5 things to expect from Joe Biden on UK trade
20 January 2021
Politico
Yet dealing with the domestic economic aftermath of COVID-19 and all the other burning issues left by the Trump administration will cause the deal to “fall down the political agenda,” said Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, shortly after Biden’s election.
In the Press - How did US President Donald Trump impact Europe during his four years in office?
19 January 2021
Euronews
For Ian Bond, director of foreign policy at the Centre for European Reform (CER) think tank, "the biggest impact" of Trump's presidency for Europe, was "the loss of trust in America's reliability as an ally."
In the Press - Europe welcomes Biden, but won't wait for him
18 January 2021
The New York Times
Sophia Besch and Luigi Scazzieri of the Centre for European Reform argue in a new paper that “many Europeans will want to forget Trump’s presidency ever happened.” But they add, “Europe cannot continue to look to the U.S. to answer key questions on what its interests are and how it should pursue them.”
In the Press - Faltering threesome fight to follow Angela Merkel
16 January 2021
The Times
“The CDU is not the party of ideas,” Christian Odendahl, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform think tank, said. “It’s the party of maintaining the status quo.”
In the Press - It’s over for Angela Merkel and her winning coalition
16 January 2021
The Telegraph
As the Centre for European Reform points out, the chancellor has simultaneously managed to draw outsized support from conservatives, centrists, greens, women and descendants of migrants. But her successor will not be given the benefit of the doubt by most of these groups and will have to prioritise.
In the Press - The battle for Germany's ruling party that will change Europe
15 January 2021
EU Observer
"Any future CDU chancellor will thus start from a position of managing the status quo, preserving what has been achieved, maintaining the crucial relationship with the US, and not risking Germans' support for European integration," Sophia Besch and Christian Odendahl at the Centre for European Reform write in their analysis.
In the Press - The messy race to replace Germany's 'remarkable' Angela Merkel
15 January 2021
The Sydney Morning Herald
Sophia Besch, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, says CDU delegates are not just picking a new leader but also casting a vote on the future of conservatism in Germany.
In the Press - Italien: Renzis ruchlose Ränkespiele
14 January 2021
Deutsche Welle
Eine lange Periode der Instabilität wäre die Folge". Nicht nur aus diesem Grund hält der Politikwissenschaftler Luigi Scazzieri vom Londoner Thinktank "Centre for European Reform" (CER) für ziemlich ausgeschlossen: "Keine der größeren Parteien will Neuwahlen. Sogar Matteo Salvini würde sich überlegen, ob er in der Pandemie an die Regierung will oder nicht vielleicht lieber bis 2023 auf die regulären Wahlen wartet."
In the Press - Britain’s immediate economic prospects are grim
14 January 2021
The Economist
But Sam Lowe of the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank, says Brussels will weaken its rules only to help EU members such as Ireland; it has no interest in softening the impact of Brexit on Britain.
In the Press - With Germany’s political future in the balance, centrist “Merkel voters” will be crucial
13 January 2021
New Statesman
Christian Odendahl of the Centre for European Reform says these “Merkel voters” include many women, people with migrant roots and centrists reassured by the chancellor’s incremental progressivism.
In the Press - This ISN'T what we fought for! Brexiteer fury at deal as FIVE issues exposed
13 January 2021
Express
Commenting on the Brexit deal, Charles Grant, director of think tank the Centre for European Reform, warned there were still uncertainties surrounding the UK-EU relationship going forward.Like Sir John, he also pointed to the sustainability of checks of goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland. Due to Northern Ireland remaining partly under EU single market and customs union, he warned some may be "tempted to tear up the NI protocol".