Von der Leyen delivers first State of the European Union

Today, the Commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen addressed her first “State of the European Union” (SOTEU) speech before the European Parliament. The annual discourse, which started early in the morning, focused inevitably on the COVID-19 crisis and its impact in Europe. On top of a rather unpredictable health crisis and an imminent Brexit, Europe is now dealing with violence on its neighbourhood and recurring migrant crisis insists on showing Europe’s fragilities.

“Next week, we will put forward the New Pact on Migration. We'll take a human and humane approach. Saving lives at sea is not optional and those countries who fulfill their legal and moral duties or are more exposed than others, must be able to rely on the solidarity of our whole EU,” said von der Leyen.

Before the impossibility of ignoring the pandemic that has affected worldwide economies, societies and ways of living, von der Leyen’s introductory notes focused on the challenges that COVID-19 have brought to Europe and how to get out of this health crisis with greater resilience. “We need to built a stronger European health Union,” delivered the president during the speech on Wednesday. Von der Leyen announced the upcoming empowerment of the European Medicines Agency and the ECDC, as well as a discussion regarding health competences. A Global Health summit was announced for the next year, in Italy.

Overall, a more resilient Europe means stronger economies and welfare systems ready to respond to people’s needs. Von der Leyen tried to reassure roughly 440 million citizens that instruments such as the Multiannual Financial Framework will boost the continent’s shape and help member states to get back on the recovery track.

Despite the significance of each of the Commission’s endeavours, the European Green Deal has attracted particular attention as it is poised to revamp the entire economy and finance in Europe. In fact, the EU is striving to be the first climate-neutral continent in the world and it hopes to inspire other nations to follow the lead.

The digital upgrade in Europe is another top priority. In late July, the EU’s Innovation and Research Commissioner Mariya Gabriel informed that developing digital competencies throughout the EU as well as encouraging gender equality in the bloc’s digital economy are two key areas that the Commission will seek to promote as part of the upcoming revamped Digital Education Action Plan.

Essentially, overall recovery will need strong policy direction, as well as investment. This prediction was outlined in greater detail in the Communication on Europe’s Recovery Plan. It was further reflected with new proposals mentioned in the Commission’s Letter of Intent to the European Parliament and Council on the occasion of the SOTEU. Finally, these will feature as part of a well-developed Commission Work Programme for 2021, to be adopted in October 2020. 

The SOTEU was first introduced ten years ago, after the Lisbon Treaty entered into force. Since then, it became a famous yearly ceremony, connecting the work developed by the EU and its citizens. 

Brexit: a nation in turmoil with no clear solution

The British government will be heard by the Supreme Court on December 5th. © Flickr António Jorge Gonçalves

Six months after the referendum that slipped the UK’s moorings of a common Europe, the British Parliament was said to “have no plan for Brexit”. Britain is now immersed in a legal imbroglio as to trigger Article 50 and to guarantee its permanence in the single market while securing control of immigration.

When Prime Minister Theresa May said “Brexit means Brexit”, she was not fully aware of the meaning of her own words. In fact, after the British people voted on June 23 to leave the European Union, they couldn’t know where they were heading. Almost six months after the decisive plebiscite, the country realised they had entered a dull legal and bureaucratic train.  

Once revealed the referendum’s final verdict, the UK was poised to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which sets the conditions in which a Member State leaves the Union within a period of two years. After a swift transition of power from Conservative David Cameron to Theresa May, the current PM built up a new cabinet including two new posts strategically put in place to deal with the withdrawal process. The new post of Secretary of State for Exiting the EU was appointed to David Davis while Liam Fox became Secretary of State for International Trade.

 High Court ruling and Brexit uncertainty

In early October, Theresa May announced she would trigger Article 5O by the end of March. However, the recent ruling of the UK High Court mandating that the British Parliament must be consulted prior to triggering Article 50 has brought further hassle to the British political scene.

Since Article 50 was only created in late 2009 and it has never been used, British politicians have been trying to grasp what to do in order to ease the divorce process. The parliament has a considerable amount of work on their hands but no one seems to know exactly how to proceed. In fact, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday (November 15), based on a leaked memo, that the “UK has no Brexit plan”. Apparently leaked by Deloitte, the note suggests it will take six months more for the government to decide what it wants to achieve from Brexit. Moreover, the document “estimates that an additional 30,000 extra civil servants could be required to meet the workload”.

After the immediate impact of the leaked memo in the media, PM Theresa May ‘s spokeswoman told journalists during a briefing that the document “was not commissioned by the Government” rather it was produced by an individual from an external accountancy firm that was “not working for the government”.

The unknown Brexit road

Rowing against the legal tide, the UK Prime Minister has vowed to continue Brexit plans. Defending her stance, Theresa May addressed the British people this time writing for the Sunday Telegraph: “Parliament voted to put the decision about our membership of the EU in the hands of the British people. The people made their choice, and did so decisively. It is the responsibility of the government to get on with the job and to carry out their instruction in full.”

Yet, the feeling of vagueness and uncertainty in the political scene is palpable.  May’s senior opponents have claimed they won’t approve Brexit negotiations if there’s no openness during debates. Labour’s Baroness Smith said: “We want to know how the Government sees the relationship with Europe. But at the moment all we’ve got is ‘we want a balance, we want to have a good working relationship, we’re in until we’re out.’ It’s just too general and too bland.”

Speaking to the Class think tank, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called for more “transparency” and “accountability” to the Parliament regarding the government’s plans: "I suspect the government opposes democratic scrutiny of its plans because frankly there aren't any plans. There are no plans beyond the hollow rhetoric, which they keep on repeating - apparently - that Brexit means Brexit,'' accused Corbyn.

On a similar note of displease, Sir Simon Fraser, a former civil servant heading the Foreign Office told MPs he thinks the country has no plan to leave the EU: “My understanding is that it is indeed proving to be a very considerable challenge in Whitehall to do this [drawing up a Brexit plan], that the government has not yet reached the point where - it is still in information-gathering mode and is not yet at the point of integrating that into a central plan. And that, I assume, will have to happen before the triggering of article 50 next year.

And I agree that this is a huge burden, a huge additional load, for the civil service. This is an extraordinary complex range of activity across a wide range of domestic and international policies and it will definitely impose a great burden on the civil service,” Fraser continued during the Brexit Committee on Wednesday (November 16).

How the British people perceive the Brexit management by the government. © Ipsos MORI poll    

Can the process be overturned?

Even though the “Remain” voters may be hoping for an opportunity to revert Brexit, it seems unlikely that the process will be reverted. After the High Court’s decision, the UK government immediately appealed to the Supreme Court and is expecting to be heard on December 5. If the government loses the appeal, it is expected to bring forward an Act of Parliament early next year, this way starting negotiation talks between MPs.

Some British politicians have confirmed their readiness to vote against Brexit. The leader of the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron said the party would oppose Article 50 unless a second referendum is considered. Nevertheless, both the Conservatives and the Labour Party have ruled out another referendum, claiming that it would be an undemocratic violation of trust with the British constituency who voted to “Leave”. Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn said they have accepted the result of the referendum but they won’t let go of the single market. “We are not calling for a second referendum. We're calling for market access for British industry to Europe,” said Corbyn.”

Brexit has thrown the very territorial integrity of the United Kingdom into question, too. With no surprises, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, has confirmed that the Scottish government will seek to be heard in the Article 50, naturally opposing Brexit.

 UK as a global actor

Concerned for the UK’s future, Sir Simon Fraser warned that the UK will jeopardise its global influence if it abandons the single market. “No matter how well we manage the process and however good the assets we have, structurally it is going to be much more difficult to exert global influence after Brexit,” noted Fraser while speaking at King’s College.

However, Brendan Simms proposed a different approach in an article for the Foreign Affairs magazine. Simms analysed how the UK could negotiate the UK’s maintenance in the single market. “The United Kingdom will remind the Europeans that most of them are not paying their relatively modest security dues of 2 percent of GDP to NATO. And just as the EU will warn the United Kingdom that it cannot cherry-pick, Britain will tell the EU that it cannot expect the British military to do the dirty work of protection and then refuse to let Britain share in the economic benefits that the wider EU enjoys thanks to those protections.”

While the divorce process is underway, European leaders are planning Brexit discussions without the UK. This decision came as a blow to May who had requested the EU not to convene without her presence. According to The Guardian, Council President Donald Tusk wants Member States to hold talks in a summit around December 15-16, disregarding May’s wishes.

Trump’s impact on the UK

The victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential elections has brought more uncertainty to the general British panorama. While it’s still difficult to analyse the impact of Trump’s triumph in the UK (and elsewhere), we could think of two possible scenarios. First, the UK comprehends that now more than ever it’s time for social union and eases the exit process together with the EU, as amicably as possible. Second, the UK believes that it will have a “special relationship” across seas, and is confident on future trade deals that will presumably boost the country as a global actor. While the first option seems more difficult to achieve given the current British internal political rows and incertitude as well as the conflict with EU’s terms (single market and free movement of people), the second alternative is all but speculation, as we still have to wait two months before Trump takes office, on January 20.

Yet, it is commonly known that President-elect Donald Trump felt inspired by the Brexit outcome, as he has mentioned during the presidential campaign. Donald’s stance towards the UK has made politicians such as right-wing UKIP’s Nigel Farage – the first UK politician to meet Trump after the elections – with bubbling euphoria and enthusiasm. Farage even offered to help the UK government in negotiations during Trump’s transition. A proposal that was declined by Theresa May.

Thus, the posed question remains: will the UK stick with its European counterparts, regardless of its exit from the Union, or will it be confident on its own greatness as an independent global actor?

"Yes, Minister" explains the former European Economic Community (current EU) @ 1981

Season 2, episode 5 "The Devil you know" from 1981. Minister Jim Hacker and Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey discuss the reasons why EU nations joined the common market © Youtube

Humphrey: Let's look at this objectively: it is a game played for national interests and always was. Why do you suppose we went into it?

Minister: To strengthen the Brotherwood of free Western nations.

Humphrey: We wanted to screw the French by splitting them of the Germans.

Minister: Why did the French go into it then?

Humphrey: To protect their inefficient farmers from commercial competition.

Minister: It certainly does not apply to the Germans.

Humphrey: No, they wanted to clean themselves of genocide and apply for readmission to the human race.

Minister: Such appalling cynicism! But at least the small nations didn't go into it for selfish reasons.

Humphrey: Really? Luxembourg is in it for the perks, the capital of the European Commission and all that foreign money pouring in, hun?

Understanding the Brexit outcomes

Article published in Cafebabel

 The final verdict has left the UK and its non-British residents in state of panic. Google

After years of caveats and months of campaigning the British people voted to leave the European Union. This represents an unprecedented move in the history of the UK, even though the relationship between the two has always been difficult. 

The expectations were high on both sides – Remain or Leave - and during the vote's counting Nigel Farage's UKIP leader has even said the Remain camp had edged it. After all the votes were assembled, the Leave counted approximately 52% of the electorate's vote against 48% for the Remain side. 

The outcome of the EU referendum came as a shock for many British – even the ones who voted Brexit. While this may be ridiculously confusing, we have come to understanding how uninformed the British people were about the significance of the referendum itself, let alone the consequences of what a leave vote could bring about. According to Google Trends, one day after the EU Referendum, the top questions registered in the UK were “What does it mean to leave the EU?” “What is the EU?” and “Which countries are in the EU?” This displays an enormous lack of sensitivity to such an important political decision. 

Who voted to Leave?

However, when dissecting the electorate of this plebiscite, we come to the conclusion that the vote to leave was mainly supported by the elderly sector of the population. The faction that is not paying taxes any longer and living off on guaranteed pensions. The majority of the youth voted to Remain and are now in shock and apprehension towards the future. Many leave voters have admitted had never believed the UK would actually leave the EU, others regretted their vote. In the meantime, an online petition in the UK – with over 3 million signatures - is calling on a new referendum but constitutional experts consider it very unlikely. Life might become a bit more bureaucratic for all the EU citizens living in the UK as well as for British living in the EU.

In any case, both campaigns were not informative rather a propaganda machine to support the credos of each side. Even if that implied lying, this was the case of the Leave side, supported by Nigel Farage. Apparently, one day after the referendum, the £350 million which used to be sent to the EU and were intended to go to the NHS, was a "misunderstanding". Probably one of the most captivating arguments of the Leave campaign was a big and despising lie.

                                                         June 23rd was a decisive day for the UK. Google

European Reactions

Overall, it was a sad day for the European Union. British citizens living in Brussels and elsewhere are devastated by this outcome. European Commission's and Parliament's presidents Juncker and Schulz are incredibly irritated with the aftermath of the referendum, blaming David Cameron of all the troubles he has given them. On the other hand, Council's president Donald Tusk has been more complacent. Juncker and Schulz are trying to hastening the divorce between the Union and London "as soon as possible". Following the press conference in Berlaymont, Juncker was asked whether this situation means the end of the EU, to what he promptly replied "No" and was followed by an enormous applause in the audience. 

EU leaders are now pressing for the UK to call on the article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, founding the legal principles how a Member State leaves the Union. However, the UK is delaying the official call on article 50 and Europe is getting anxious and afraid of the enthusiasm of extremist parties in the EU with the same convictions as UKIP and Front National.

Indeed, the fear of contagion is alive. Many discontent countries see this as an opportunity to launch their own referendums and take some control. Nicola Sturgeon, SNP's leader announced a very likely referendum over Scotland's independence. French Front National has already announced that its people have the right to choose their future, just like the Dutch anti-immigration Party for Freedom or Italy's Northern League. Recently, Portuguese's Left Bloc also announced the desire of a referendum should the EU decide to sanction the southern country. 

An EU Summit on June 28^th and 29^th will gather EU leaders in an effort to smoothly and swiftly address this huge issue hanging in Brussels. 

                                EU and UK are about to start the divorce process... Google

Media on Brexit

Due to the enormous impact and consequences of this political decision, Brexit made the front cover of each newspaper or magazine and every opening of breaking news across the globe. What has the media been saying?

The Financial Times expectedly focused on the economic and financial impact of Brexit asking, "What will Brexit mean for the city of London?" Indeed, the capital of capitalism all of a sudden saw its currency – the pound – plunging dramatically to a 31 year low as markets reacted with anxiety and lack of confidence following this unpredictable outcome. Bloomberg delivered a swift analysis on the immediate winners and losers of Brexit with the title "Brexit's Winners and Losers: Johnson Triumphs as Pound Plunges". The business media reported good news on the way to Russia and Front National’s leader Marine Le Pen, and bad news for the banks and London real estate. 

POLITICO accused British voters of “unleashing an economic and political tsunami” and added that it’s going towards the US, where GOP candidate to the White House Donald Trump, praised the Brexit’s aftermath. Both Hillary Clinton – Democrat candidate to the presidency- and incumbent Barack Obama have sent their pleas overseas calling on the importance of the UK inside of the European Union. Now, the fear of a massive populist vote on controversial Donald Trump on the upcoming elections of November is becoming a serious concern.

The Canadian based Global Research focused on the social triggers of this political decision taken by the British people writing that "The UK’s ‘Brexit’ Vote Is Actually a Referendum on Xenophobia". As a matter of fact, one of the biggest "trumps" used by the Leave campaign was precisely immigration, terrorism and security – which irrationally Leave advocates were relating to each other thereby putting them on the same bag. After Brexit became a reality, it is alarming to witness the xenophobic behaviour of UK citizens happy with the final verdict. Verbal attacks towards Polish and Muslim residents in the UK have sprung up and people are getting scared and uneasy with the repercussions of this referendum.

Foreign Affairs magazine published a few days before the EU Referendum an article entitled “Please Leave”. On this piece, the author Camille Pecastaing points out the EU’s shifting role over time turning political ideals and principles into an economic mission. In the meantime, the arrival of Margaret Thatcher in the political scene brought neoliberal policies, such as market deregulation and privatisations, turning London’s approach to the Europe as an “ever-enlarging free market”. Furthermore, Pecastaing accuses the UK of never being committed to a project of commonwealth within the EU. “It is that redistributive logic that makes a commonwealth and that, in Europe, the Greeks have abused and the British have denied. And this is why Europe would be better off without them,” wrote the author. 

Nevertheless, in each analysis circulating on the web, the shock felt by the markets as an immediate reaction of the Brexit effect is always emphasised. Considering the behaviour of the markets is by nature of extreme unpredictability, it was predictable that further uncertainty would retract potential investors therefore creating apprehension in the financial markets. However, analysts defend that the economic shock felt by Brexit will be moderate in comparison to the 2008 crash since so far no widespread market freeze or investor panic has occurred. Indeed, Bloomberg reported that the world's 400 richest people lost €1.27 billion after Brexit. 

Conclusions

 

Given the Brexit outcome, the UK must now reorganise its grounds. David Cameron has already announced its resignation, though by October, and the most likely future PM will be Boris Johnson. A series of resignations were presented to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is struggling to keep the party alive and united. The political turmoil must be replaced by an orderly restructuration of both Conservative and Labour parties. After stability is settled, focus should be put on the NHS and on the British social security system. Moreover, the UK must fortify its ties with future strategic international players and reinforce trade agreements with its counterparts. When debating a Brexit case scenario, many analysts were considering several approaches such as the Swiss or the Norwegian model, both wealthy non-EU countries with trade agreements with the EU and the rest of the world. Nevertheless, each case is a single case and even if the UK tries a transition – which might well be successful – the first stages of experiment and implementation will be harsh.

European Union: with or without you?

Article published in Cafebabel

                         British people are about to decide the future of the UK, on June 23rd. © rubyblossom

Britain has always been a reluctant member within the European Union (EU). In fact, the question of Britain remaining in the EU dates back to the time of the United Kingdom (UK)'s entry in the then European Economic Community (EEC), in 1973.  Edward Heath, then Conservative leader, was the responsible for such a bold move. However, his Labour opponent Harold Wilson had since the very beginning disagreed with the terms of entry of the UK in the Union and thus, after winning the elections in 1974, he called on a referendum to renegotiate the UK's position within the then EEC. The referendum was held on June 1975.

Since 1975 up to this day, the UK had eleven referendums, most of them focusing on the issue of devolution, sovereignty and more independence to the country.  On the 23rd of June, not only the British people, but all Europeans will follow the results of another plebiscite which will command the future of Britain. But how complex is this debate? How informed are British citizens? 

Citizen Involvement 

Yesterday (May 26th), BBC broadcasted the "Question Time" in Ipswich, moderated by David Dimbleby. The debate was alight and British people – including British descendants of immigrants – had the opportunity to expose their questions, their doubts and their fears.

The debate – one of many to go - included personalities such as Conservative MP David Davis, former Labour leader Ed Miliband, former Green leader Caroline Lucas and former adviser to David Cameron, Steve Hilton. Ms Lucas pointed out that the UK needs more the EU than the Union needs the UK. As for Mr David Davis, he considers that this campaign is emerging as a battle between the establishment and the people and he made the case for a Brexit vote by calling on an economic model like in Canada, a country that has free trade deals and a border controls. 

Ed Miliband, son of a Belgian father and a Polish mother, made the case for Britain to remain in the EU by focusing on cooperation in questions such as security, terrorism and climate change. In fact, current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and with Ed Miliband are about to make a joint appeal on climate change warning.

Overall, the British people are confuse and mostly apprehensive. Polls, numbers and graphs are flooding the web and puzzling their minds. The arguments for leaving or remaining are very much theoretical and the future – in or out – is very inconclusive. The strongest arguments focus on immigration, security and terrorism and of course, a country's underpinning, the economy and financial stability. 

Leave arguments are blaming the flux of immigrants in the UK, accusing them of "stealing" jobs, increasing insecurity and changing the identity of the country. They also feel that the UK lost its power of negotiation and influence as an international actor within the EU, arguing they would be stronger outside the Union – and still part of the Commonwealth - with more power to decide their future.

On the other hand, remain arguments focus on the economic stability and the symbiotic process existing between the EU and the UK when it comes to trade and investment. The advocates of remain also accuse the leave's defenders of misjudgement, pointing out the net contribution that immigrants (EU and non-EU) bring to the country.  In fact, several studies about the fiscal effects of immigration to the UK consider immigrants to make a positive contribution, even during periods when Britain was running budget deficits.

Game of Power

We are facing a very complex debate and even though some might use Brexit to move their agendas forward – whether to leave or to remain – this is not (or should not be) a political battle. David Cameron pledged to hold an in-out referendum back in 2014, claiming a firm renegotiation over the welfare system in the UK, calling on the real possibility of Britain leaving the Union in the case his requirements would not be met. 

In February 2016, after talks and meetings in Brussels, Cameron managed to strike a deal with the EU where the UK was given a "special status" regarding migrant's benefits. From this moment on, Cameron announced he would campaign his "heart and soul" to remain in the Union. This special treatment conceded to the UK came with its dose of controversy, as the chance of other Member States calling on different types of conditions went up. 

In early February 2016, former mayor of London Boris Johnson surprised David Cameron, announcing his commitment to campaign for the leave vote. This announcement has also caused polemic with some voices accusing Johnson of being driven by the future general elections. Recently during his campaign, he accused the EU of trying to create a "United States of Europe". As for Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader, he claims the Tories might risk losing a considerable amount of members should the British people vote to remain.

Scotland

Concerns have also sprung up in Scotland. If the outcomes of the Scottish people's votes are confronted with a majority for leaving the EU, there is a big chance that it will trigger another referendum to decide Scotland's independence, said Alex Salmond, former Scottish National Party leader. In September 2014, Scotland voted on a referendum to determine its permanence within the United Kingdom and the wish to remain (55.30%) part of the UK surpassed the desire of independence (44.70%).

Overseas

Donald Trump, the controversial GPO candidate running for the White House has publicly expressed the US would not give a different treatment to the UK should the British people vote leave. As a response, PM David Cameron, who has allegedly described Trump as "stupid, divisive and wrong", declared during the recent G7 meeting his belief in the "special relationship" with the US regardless the chosen president.
US president Barack Obama and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau are just a few influential figures who have publicly shared their support for Britain to remain in the EU. The aftermath of the G7 meeting of the world's leader claimed that a Brexit case-scenario would represent a peril to global growth. Moreover, the European press also seems to be giving the push for the permanence in the Union.

UK After the Elections: Stagnation or a Country Rising Up?

Article published in Cafebabel

Unexpected elections. secretlondon123 © Flickr

After the turbulent general elections of May 7, United Kingdom has now to focus on the future. There is no need to tell you that next months won't be exactly a walk in the park for the new government.

After the excitement of the general elections in the UK peaked with a weighted victory for the Conservatives (51%), the battle will now take place in a different field. Following Ed Miliband’s resignation after a disastrous election night (36%), Labour is paving the way for its future leader. Chuka Umunna, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper are the strongest names in this race. Also, former shadow cabinet minister Angela Eagle has said she is considering joining the contest. Despite all the candidates, Chuka Umunna has been labeled as Miliband's most likely successor; however, dues to his ethnic roots along with a very ideologically backward Britain, Chuka might face some troubles. 

Battle for 10 Downing Street Battle for 10 Downing Street. Visit Britain © Flickr 

As for David Cameron, he has been busy appointing his new government, where Boris Johnson was given an important role in the political cabinet. Iain Duncan Smith is to remain in charge of the Government's controversial welfare reforms as Work and Pensions Secretary. Also keeping their jobs are Chancellor George Osborne, Home Secretary Theresa May, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. Michael Gove is returning to the government's top - moving from chief whip to Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary at the expense of Chris Grayling, who becomes Leader of the House of Commons. However some of Cameron’s new appointments are a bit controversial such as the anti gay-marriage deputy Caroline Dinenage as Minister of Equalities, and Priti Patel, the new employment minister who wants to bring back the death penalty. 

Nicola Sturgeon, SNP leader and Prime Minister of Scotland was, along with Cameron, the biggest winner of the electoral night. Sturgeon, after a vigorous and restless campaign was able to win 56 seats out of 59. Scotland's independence is now looming again. 

With no coalition to hang on anymore, Nick Clegg has quit his post as Lib Dem leader, opening the way to future candidates. MP Norman Lamb has already shown his will to rebuild the trust within the party, confirming that he will run for the leadership. In UKIP’s land, after the show created by Nigel Farage, abandoning the governance and making up his mind after a couple of days, a row has erupted between UKIP's only MP Douglas Carswell and party officials, after Carswell had rejected £650,000 in public money. 

What’s next for Britain? 

Step by step, the UK is rebuilding itself and preparing for the tough years about to come. At least one thing is certain; we can expect a referendum on EU membership in the coming years. However, Cameron will most likely try to negotiate terms in EU treaties rather than radically leave the Union. If the Prime Minister succeeds, we must ask ourselves whether this new United Kingdom (or perhaps a disunited one without Scotland) fits within Europe’s ideals. But what about the rest of the pledges made during the electoral campaign? We now have our eyes on Cameron and on his next moves as a Prime Minister who has promised a referendum on the devolution of powers to Scotland, raising the personal allowance for tax to £12,500, welfare cuts, NHS spending, tax-free childcare, no increase in income tax, VAT and National Insurance, freezing rail fare and a housing revolution for young families. Will we see this happening? 

Mediterranean Crisis 

Lampedusa's shame Lampedusa's shame. Noborder Network © Flickr 

The current dramatic situation involving the migrants in the Mediterranean is the hot topic of the week. Home Secretary Theresa May has already said that the UK will not participate in the EU resettlement proposals which aim to spread a certain number of migrants across the European territory. The plans, to be revealed by Brussels, could include proposals to distribute 20,000 refugees across all EU member states. The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker is the main driving force behind the plans but Britain is against this international cooperation, arguing that nothing should be done to encourage more people to cross the Mediterranean. Apparently, May has followed Cameron’s train of thought.