Press
Juncker will find me 'bloody difficult woman' in Brexit talks, says May
03 May 2017
The Guardian
Meanwhile, Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform (CER) thinktank, revealed that commission officials are considering demanding billions more from the UK than was previously suggested. “Commission officials have told me that the amount being sought by the EU from Britain before Brexit goes ahead is likely to be significantly higher than the €60bn that has already been floated,” said the CER director.
Daily Politics: The growing Brexit bill
03 May 2017
Charles Grant speaks to Andrew Neil about the growing Brexit bill (from 03.40).
A terrible start to the Brexit conversation
02 May 2017
The Financial Times
The UK is deluding itself if it thinks it will prosper outside the EU, writes Simon Tilford, deputy director of the Centre for European Reform. He contends that few countries have ever allowed their sense of exceptionalism to damage their interests in the way Britain is doing.
BBC Sunday Politics: Camino Mortera-Martinez on Brexit neogitations
02 May 2017
Camino Mortera-Martinez talks to BBC Sunday Politics on the EU summit and the forthcoming Brexit neogitations.
Britain’s complacency over Brexit will end in humiliation
02 May 2017
The Guardian
France and Germany don't make the mistake of thinking they would be better off outside the EU. The UK is deluding itself if it thinks it will prosper.
Grudging Public Support for Euro Could Hold It Together
30 April 2017
The Wall Street Journal
“The cost of breaking up the euro is so high that this probably won’t be the consequence of the challenge from populism,” says Christian Odendahl, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think tank. “Rather, the issue is resistance to the broader European project. If populists win power on the basis of anti-euro rhetoric, countries’ willingness to work together in Europe will be constrained.”
European Union leaders - minus Britain - gather ahead of 'Brexit' negotiations to plot their moves
29 April 2017
The Los Angeles Times
“There was some concern that the UK will try to approach the negotiations with divide-and-rule tactics,” said Agata Gostyńska, a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think-tank. “The EU has something big at stake. It’s the EU’s fate. This is one of Germany’s priorities, to keep the EU united.”
Das Märchen von der britischen Einzigartigkeit
29 April 2017
Spiegel Online
Die britische Elite hält ihr Land für dermaßen außergewöhnlich, dass es den Rest Europas nicht braucht. So war ihre Einstellung zur EU, so kam es zum Brexit. Und so wird es zu einer Demütigung der Briten kommen.
Can Emmanuel Macron solve France's economic riddle?
29 April 2017
The Guardian
According to Charles Grant, director of the CER, Macron wants two things from Germany. Firstly, he wants Berlin to agree to reflate its domestic economy, thereby helping not just French exporters but those of other EU countries. Secondly, he wants to complete the monetary union project by having a eurozone budget managed by a eurozone parliament and a eurozone finance minister.
European leaders back Brexit negotiating plan before talks
28 April 2017
Bloomberg
“The British have been on a steep learning curve when it comes to what the red lines are and what they can reasonably expect to achieve,” said Christian Odendahl, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform. “The EU has been remarkably consistent over the last couple of months when it comes to its position.”
RTÉ News: Theresa May meets Jean-Claude Juncker
26 April 2017
John Springford talks to RTÉ News about the likely topics of discussion when Theresa May meets Jean-Claude Juncker in London (from 27.03).
Britain must contribute to EU budget until 2020 to secure favourable Brexit terms
26 April 2017
The Telegraph
Charles Grant, the director of the Centre for European Reform, a pro-EU think-tank said that Germany - egged on by France - was leading the hardline on the budget issue, which Europe says must be satisfactorily resolved before it will agree to trade talks. "Some top officials suggest that they will not compromise on the €60 billion," he said, "But if the British are willing to compromise on the money, they will find the 27 willing to start talks on an FTA."
CER podcast: What UK-EU trade deal after Brexit?
25 April 2017
John Springford talks to Sophia Besch about about the best possible trade deal between the UK and the EU after Brexit. Based on new empirical research into the costs of trade barriers he argues for a ‘Swiss style’ Brexit.
Tok FM: Wielka Brytania przed ogłoszeniem przyspieszonych wyborów
25 April 2017
Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska talks to Tok FM about the forthcoming UK elections.
Jobs hold fast in shadow of Brexit…for now
25 April 2017
EurActiv
John Springford, director of research at the Centre for European Reform, explained that the economic slowdown and job losses have been less dramatic than predicted, as British consumers have kept spending on the back of their savings.
In addition, he noted that Britain’s labour market has proven to be “extremely flexible”, pointing to an unemployment rate that remained under 8% during the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
Brexit Bulletin: The EU Plays Even Harder Ball
25 April 2017
Bloomberg
In a new report, John Springford of the Centre for European Reform argued “Britain’s best hope” is to secure a Swiss-style trade deal focused on goods. That would represent the most the EU would be willing to offer without insisting on the supremacy of European courts and freedom of labor movement that May wants to avoid, he says.
Britain's best option for Brexit would be a Swiss-style deal keeping trade barriers with EU as low as possible, says new report
24 April 2017
The Sun
CER director of research John Springford said: “Something similar to the Swiss deal, but without free movement, would be the very best that Britain can hope for.
“The EU might not be prepared to offer the UK such a deal, since the Swiss have accepted free movement as the price of single market participation in goods, and the EU want the Swiss to download EU law more rapidly.
Macron's rise could prove a mixed blessing for Brexit Britain
24 April 2017
Financial Times
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, said he would expect Mr Macron to continue with President François Hollande’s tough approach to Brexit.
“He doesn’t want the nationalists to be able to argue that coming out of the EU pays off, so Britain must be seen to suffer a bit,” he said. “Macron is also a true believer in a federalist sense.”
Le Pen and Macron: Candidates vying to be France's next president
23 April 2017
USA Today
"A Macron victory would break the political mould of the Fifth Republic. Since 1958 France has been ruled by presidents who hail from the mainstream parties of left or right," said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank.
Europe's populist wave stalls as Macron storms into French runoff
23 April 2017
The Daily Mail
Others are sceptical about whether Macron can convince the Germans to do a deal. Christian Odendahl of the Centre for European Reform points to a lack of "intellectual convergence" between Berlin and Paris on what Europe really needs. "In Berlin, there isn't a great sense of urgency. They see this as a marathon, not a sprint. There is a preference for incremental improvements in Europe rather than bold new projects," he said.