Section: Open Europe (UK)
Greek Interior Minister says snap elections after the summer are “very likely”
Greek Interior Minister says snap elections after the summer are “very likely”Greek Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis told radio station Sto Kokkino yesterday, “If it is not September, it will be October. Elections are very likely, but will be the result of the broader way things are seen to be going, not just from the government.” Greek Prime...
New Greek proposals seen as going in right direction but agreement still far from certain
New Greek proposals seen as going in right direction but agreement still far from certainGreece was reported to have last night sent new proposals to its creditors ahead of today’s meetings of Eurozone finance ministers and Eurozone leaders. EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said the proposals “go in the right...
Tsipras: We’re ready to say “big No” to bad deal for Greece
Tsipras: We’re ready to say “big No” to bad deal for GreeceGreek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told reporters yesterday, “The Greek government will bear the cost of carrying through this difficult agreement [with lenders]…We will assume the responsibility to say ‘the big No’ to a continuation of the catastrophic policies for Greece.”...
Scrapping purdah biggest point of contention as EU Referendum Bill easily passes its second reading
Scrapping purdah biggest point of contention as EU Referendum Bill easily passes its second readingThe Government’s EU Referendum Bill yesterday passed its second reading by 544 votes to 53. During the debate, a number of backbenchers complained that the government’s intention to suspend the 28-day ‘purdah’ period – during which...
Greece submits new proposal to creditors including demands for further funding
Greece submits new proposal to creditors including demands for further fundingAFP reports that Greece has submitted a three page proposal to its creditors this morning in an attempt to reach an agreement, specifically on the issue of primary surplus targets, with Athens coming closer to meeting the creditors’ demands. Bloomberg reports that...
Cameron rules out free EU vote for Ministers as row breaks out over civil service neutrality and campaign spending limits
Cameron rules out free EU vote for Ministers as row breaks out over civil service neutrality and campaign spending limitsAt the G7 summit in Bavaria, asked whether he would allow Ministers to campaign for an EU exit, Prime Minister David Cameron replied that “If you want to be part of the Government, you have to take the view that we are engaged...
Vast majority of UK public undecided on EU referendum vote – reform essential for swing vote
Vast majority of UK public undecided on EU referendum vote – reform essential for swing voteA Survation poll for the think-tank British Future has found that more than 70% of voters have not definitively made up their minds how to vote in the EU referendum and are waiting to see the deal struck by David Cameron. Just 16% say they are “definitely...
Another late night meeting fails to find agreement on Greece
Another late night meeting fails to find agreement on GreeceGreek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said his five-hour meeting last night with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Eurogroup Chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem was “constructive”, adding that he believed an agreement was “in sight” but called on the creditors to be “realistic”....
German Vice Chancellor: Not every EU member state needs to participate in every single policy area
German Vice Chancellor: Not every EU member state needs to participate in every single policy areaWriting in Bild, German Vice-Chancellor and SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel argues that “it is time to reform Europe”. He puts forward five concrete proposals for EU reform, including cracking down on tax avoidance by multinational corporations, more...
Cameron warns EU renegotiation will not be a smooth process as senior EU politicians back EU reform
Cameron warns EU renegotiation will not be a smooth process as senior EU politicians back EU reformArriving at the informal EU leaders’ summit in Riga yesterday, Prime Minister David Cameron said that “there will be ups and downs [during the EU renegotiation]. You will hear one day that ‘this is possible’; the next day something is...
