01 July 2014

Federal Trust: Learning Through Suffering, European Lessons for the British Government

Brendan Donnelly draws six lessons from the recent summit:

'1. British governments are prone grossly to exaggerate the extent of support they enjoy for their political attitudes and choices within the European Union.

2.There are considerable limits upon the help that Mrs. Merkel can and will wish to give to Mr. Cameron in his campaign  to “renegotiate” the terms of British membership of the European Union.

3. The British government regularly underestimates the power and effectiveness of European institutions, particularly the European Parliament.

4. The present British government, like many of its predecessors, ceases to be capable of rational political analysis when the term “federalism” enters the European debate.

5. The influence of the British government within the European Union is today at a remarkably low ebb.

6. The Prime Minister has remarked that Mr. Juncker’s election as President of the European Commission may make more difficult the winning of a referendum to ensure continuing British membership of the European Union. It would be more accurate to say that the way in which he has conducted his opposition to Mr. Juncker has made the winning of any such referendum more difficult. '

He concludes:

'It would be encouraging to believe that some or all of the above lessons will be taken to heart and shape future British European policy. Given the internal configuration of the present British political system, such a belief would be more a matter of hope than of expectation.'

View Full Article

© Federal Trust