The UK's current EU policy: Nonexistent

States of Mind

The EU’s new “president” and “foreign minister”
So, it’s looking like it’s lightweight, little-known Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy for the President of the European Council, and lightweight, little-known Baroness Ashton (current UK European Commissioner, Peter Mandelson’s almost invisible replacement) for the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Two no-marks, for two jobs that many have claimed are among the most powerful in the world. Does anyone seriously believe that Van Rompuy has what it takes to impose his will over the likes of Sar

Nine years ago…
Apropos of not a lot, now that the Treaty of Lisbon’s all over, what was being said when the similarly disputed and unsatisfactory Treaty of Nice was finally passed back in 2001? From The Economist, Vol. 360, Issue 8232 (28th July 2001): Nice is complex and difficult to understand; in future, the EU must do better in explaining its workings to a European public that seems to be simultaneously bored and irritated by the Union. Sound familiar?

“No one under the age of 52 has had the chance to vote on the EU”
So runs the argument of increasingly prominent anti-EU Tory, Daniel Hannan MEP – still advocating a UK referendum despite the final ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. This is, of course, very true. Since the 1975 referendum on EEC membership, the British people haven’t had their chance to vote on being part of the EU system. But when was the vote on constitutional monarchy, an established Church, Cabinet government, a two-chamber parli

Liveblogging the Lisbon apocalypse
With Vaclav Klaus’ low-key signature this afternoon, the Lisbon Treaty – which its critics have long accused of being capable of altering the very fabric of European life – has been ratified. I was in London, reporting the reactions live on Twitter as the news of the signing spread. First update c.3:15pm UK time, last c.6pm: Right. So Lisbon’s signed. I await the end of the nation state (as warned of by some of its madder opponents) with positive glee. If I got the anti-Lisbon memo right, we now all have to have abo

Guest Post: Chris Patten for ‘EU Foreign Minister’?
A guest post from that rare beast, an openly pro-EU Tory – in this case Thomas Byrne of the blog Byrne Tofferings, who is keen to sound out the thoughts of a more international audience to his suggestion for the first High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the successor to the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (currently Javier Solana): Chris Patten has signalled his interest in the