Hollande & GermanyPolitical Union EU & corruption
  • Hollande, the Germans and 'political union'
    Insight by Charles Grant, 25 September 2012
    François Hollande
  • Alice in euroland: What political union for the single currency?
    Insight by Philip Whyte, 09 October 2012
    Alice in euroland: What political union for the single currency?
  • The EU must fight corruption and defend the rule of law
    Insight by Hugo Brady, 14 June 2012
    EU & corruption
  • The new EU budget: A missed opportunity
    Insight by Stephen Tindale, 11 July 2011

    The Commission's proposals for the EU's 2014-2020 budgets are a missed opportunity, representing no substantial change. Spending on agriculture should be greatly reduced, that on cohesion re-focused and that on climate greatly increased.

  • The politics of European justice
    Bulletin article by Hugo Brady, 01 June 2011

    The EU's least understood institution is its Court of Justice, which is seated in a stockade-like building in Luxembourg. For over half a century, judges there have quietly adjudicated, mainly between European governments, institutions and businesses.

  • Europe's parliament: Reform or perish?
    Essay by Denis MacShane, 04 April 2011

    National MPs feel less and less in control of decisions taken in Europe. Yet they are expected to defend these decisions with the same vigour as the national laws they vote for themselves.

  • The EU budget: The Union risks having the wrong debate
    Bulletin article by Stephen Tindale, 01 April 2011

    In an age of fiscal austerity, the focus of the forthcoming EU budget talks will be even more strongly on net balances: how much a country pays in and how much it gets back.

  • A chance for further CAP reform
    Policy brief by Christopher Haskins, 28 February 2011

    This policy brief argues that the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy which Commissioner Fischler began over a decade ago must now be completed.
  • European political parties are the key to EU legitimacy
    Bulletin article by Sir Julian Priestley, 01 February 2011

    The European Parliament sometimes exasperates its friends. MEPs have made the wrong calls on some policy questions and they delayed reforming their malfunctioning pay and allowances system until the creation of a harmonised salary scheme in 2009.

  • Beyond the European Parliament: Rethinking the EU's democratic legitimacy
    Essay by Anand Menon, John Peet, 21 December 2010

    The European Parliament plays a crucial role in the EU's legislative process, but is little loved in many parts of the EU. Even if all MEPs became wise, hard-working and responsible, the Parliament would still find it hard to claim a proper democratic mandate.

  • EU JHA co-operation: After Lisbon, reality bites
    Insight by Hugo Brady, 24 June 2010

    EU policies on policing, justice and immigration were widely expected to take a big leap forward after the ratification of the Lisbon treaty.