About: The Brief
The Brief – Anti-immigration ringleaders proved wrong
At more or less the same time this Brief is published, France's World Cup team will be descending on the Champs-Elysees. They'll be sending a powerful message against the authoritarian drift and the toxic debates on immigration that currently dominate in Europe and the world.
The Brief – Juncker’s plan for the elections? Results
Europe is leaving behind some of the craziest days in months and is now gearing for what looms after the summer break. The coming months will be the moment of truth before the European elections show how far the Eurosceptics and populists have managed to seize control of Europe’s agenda and shape the debate.
The Brief – White heat, white light?
The UK finally revealed its hand on Thursday, publishing a 104-page White Paper that looks awfully like continued membership of the single market and customs union. Just don’t call it that, whatever you do.
The Brief – Europe’s shameful anniversary
Twenty-three years ago to the day, modern Europe lived through one of its most shameful moments.
The Brief – Calm after the storm?
After the storm came relative calm. Boris Johnson joined former Brexit Secretary David Davis in resigning yesterday after spending most of the last two years trying to be sacked.
The Brief – This week everything is possible
A terrible week ahead of us will keep Europeans on their toes.
The Brief – EU membership McGuffin?
Croatia joined the EU five years ago to the month but what has bloc membership done for the Balkan nation over the last half-decade?
The Brief – A declaration of independence
The US declared independence from the UK 242 years ago today. As the always loquacious Brexiteer Dan Hannan put it in on Twitter: “things worked out OK for them”.
The Brief – Xenophobia: A new European value, Hungary says
To those who believe that the EU shares a set of clear and well-known values, think again.
The Brief – Macron’s faltering European dreams
Macron’s European dream ran into a wall of national politics at last week's EU summit. A swing to the right of the European agenda appeared to trump the in-depth economic reforms championed by the French president. EURACTIV.fr reports.
The Brief – Migration crisis? You ain’t seen nothing yet
Europe sure has reached new lows if the recent arrival of thousands of often needy and desperate people could prompt the circus that was this week’s migration-dominated EU summit. It’s only a tiny taste of what faces this continent in the coming years.
The Brief – Bye bye Mannschaft
Let’s not pretend, we all watched the Germany game yesterday, in Berlaymont, in offices, in nearby pubs. At least the shocking end, Mannschaft’s first group stage exit from a World Cup in 70 years, which aroused considerable interest around the globe.
The Brief – The hopeless deepening of the euro
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte recently compared the EU to a giraffe. But for the author of this Brief, our Union rather looks like an old lady (or man if you wish) with heart problems, who ignores her doctor’s recommendations and instead focuses on her fictional back pain.
The Brief – Desperately seeking cohesion
In a non-legislative resolution, MEPs urged EU countries on Monday (25 June) to make sure that providing humanitarian help to migrants is not treated as a crime. The mere fact that they felt obliged to do so speaks volumes about where Europe is today.
The Brief – A fence across the Mediterranean
The mini-summit of 16 held in Brussels on Sunday was like a workshop in which pupils were asked to find an easy solution to a difficult problem: in this case, how to respond to the refugee crisis.
Two years on: a referendum redux
The Brexit poll was billed by David Cameron as the once-in-a-generation opportunity to resolve Britain’s tortured relationship with the EU. It hasn’t worked out that way. Instead, it appears to have condemned Britain to a tortured conversation with itself.
The Brief – Tear down this wall
The EU needs a quick fix, because it’s going down. The 28-29 June summit could end up indirectly sinking Angela Merkel, which means European policies might do what internal German ones failed to achieve.
The Brief – The price of a hollow eurozone budget
More than a year after Emmanuel Macron won the presidential elections in France, and following three months of arduous negotiations between Paris and Berlin, the French president finally got his trophy: a specific budget for the eurozone.
The Brief – Side-stepping the migration issue
No one can say that the EU and its leaders are not exorcised by migration. Its next seven-year budget is expected to include a plethora of new tools, including a “migration management window”. An investment fund for African countries has been set up to “tackle the root causes of migration”.
The Brief – Breakthrough with Poland: Wanted or not?
Yet another visit by Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans to the Polish capital resulted in no breakthrough in the spat between Brussels and Warsaw over the rule of law.
The Brief, powered by Yara – Boris & co run out of time
Westminster is aflutter with talk of resignations and betrayal after 24 hours in which the fragile unity of the UK government shattered like a cheap vase.
The Brief, powered by Yara – A mission-oriented narrative for Europe
Horizon Europe, the EU’s research programme, has been one of the biggest winners of the EU’s long-term budget after 2021. But it’s not all about money (even if we're talking about €100 billion here). Science needs a mission, Commissioner Carlos Moedas told reporters on Thursday.
The Brief, powered by Yara – Strasbourg single seat silliness
Relocating the European Parliament to Strasbourg every month is a waste of time and money. You know it, I know it, we all know it. But France refuses to let go. Instead of holding on to it, Macron should start using it as a bargaining chip.