Research
France threatens to remove troops in Afghanistan
20 January 2012
NPR
Edward Burke with the CER says "the French decision today reflects a deep frustration amongst many coalition partners that they don't feel that they're making the progress that perhaps has been widely reported in Brussels by NATO and in Washington."
Brussels poised to step up action on Hungary
19 January 2012
Financial Times
"In Hungary's case, it's a conversation that's been waiting to happen for quite some time," says Hugo Brady of the CER. But he said it was highly unlikely that member-states would follow up the European parliament's request to punish Budapest.
Germany's military future is vital for Europe
19 January 2012
Defence Management Journal
Tomas Valasek, Director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the Centre for European Reform, argues that Germany's next step following its refusal to participate in Libya may be crucial for European defence…
The world's biggest military power, the United States, has announced it is to focus westward on the...
The world's biggest military power, the United States, has announced it is to focus westward on the...
Europe bites the bullet, ditches worker privileges in reforms devised to fight debt crisis
18 January 2012
The Washington Post
"There’s no doubt that some of the reforms we’re now seeing of labour markets in some (European Union) states are long overdue," said Simon Tilford, of the CER.
Analysis: Credit downgrades put onus on Germany
16 January 2012
USA Today
The downgrade "certainly reinforces the relative weakness of France to Germany in the current context," said Simon Tilford of the CER. "However, what it also does is isolate Germany."
Downgrade of debt ratings underscores Europe's woes
13 January 2012
The New York Times
"It will make it harder to erect firewalls around struggling euro zone economies and convince investors that things are more sustainable," said Simon Tilford, the chief economist for the CER in London.
End of an affair? City of London and EU in bitter acrimony
12 January 2012
Yale Global
The global financial crisis has had a seemingly odd impact on relations between the City of London, the United Kingdom and the European Union. Before the crisis, the dominant assumption in Britain was that what was good for the City, Europe's largest financial center, was good for the UK and...
Is a breakaway Scotland brave or foolhardy?
12 January 2012
Reuters
Hugo Brady of the CER think-tank and a former Irish government official, said the SNP's assumption of automatic membership "would be a very difficult ask because it would set a precedent for other new members that might join."
EU legal expert casts doubt on new fiscal treaty
11 January 2012
EU Observer
Charles Grant, director of the London-based Centre for European Reform, told the meeting "it is quite likely Britain will leave the EU within 10 years."
EU faces defence challenge as US looks to Asia
10 January 2012
Reuters
"Contributing troops to these conflicts has been very financially and politically expensive for European countries," says Tomas Valasek of the CER. "There will be some who will rejoice that the US has in effect said that it plans to do fewer 'nationbuilding' wars."
For Europe, a 'green light' to lead
09 January 2012
Defence News
"The new emphasis on Asia and the Middle East could mean the US will be less likely to lead future operations in and around Europe", said Tomas Valasek, of the CER in London.
Nothing to celebrate
04 January 2012
Foreign Policy
Think 2011 was a bad year for Europe? 2012 could be a whole lot worse - if EU leaders don't get serious and deal with these 6 problems.
Welcome to the new year. In Europe, it doesn't look particularly promising. Even in the most optimistic scenarios for the...
Welcome to the new year. In Europe, it doesn't look particularly promising. Even in the most optimistic scenarios for the...
Ten years of the euro: the sceptics got it wrong too
03 January 2012
The Guardian
I came across an upbeat pamphlet called EU:2010: An optimistic vision of the future. Written in 2000 by Charles Grant, it set out a vision of a resurgent Europe into which he hoped the second Blair government would take us around about 2005...
To head off trouble, EU prepares for less union
02 January 2012
International Herald Tribune
"People talk about tax measures continuing to be subject to unanimity", said Philip Whyte, senior research fellow at the CER, "but you could have this type of reinforced cooperation in an area covered by unanimity and with a country not taking part being affected by the measure".
Is Britain on the way out?
01 January 2012
The German Marshall Fund of the US
In this GMF podcast, Senior Advisor Michael Leigh and Director of the CER Charles Grant discuss the increasing isolation of the UK from the EU and the effect of this isolation on the rest of Europe, and on transatlantic relations.