Press

For Theresa May, the Brexit news only gets worse

17 October 2017
The New York Times
“Britain is not seen as a credible negotiating partner,” said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, a London-based research institute. “Continental Europeans read Britain’s newspapers and watch its TV news, and it seems very confused. They don’t know who is in charge, and who speaks for the government.”

Delivering a successful industrial strategy through trade policy and export promotion

17 October 2017
Prospect
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, sounded a note of caution on the presumption that by leaving the EU Customs Union and regaining control of its trade policy, the UK would derive major economic benefits. Grant went on to note that, whilst this was a likely scenario, it was not inevitable and the Treasury had serious concerns that any new trade deals would not be able to outweigh the effect of a less close economic relationship with the EU.

The West cannot afford to give up on Turkey

17 October 2017
CNN
European leaders are set to discuss the increasingly difficult issue of Turkey at a summit this week in Brussels amid the deepest freeze in bilateral relations in years.

BBC News at six: Theresa May visits Brussels

16 October 2017
John Springford speaks to BBC News about the Brexit negotiations (from 10.30 mins).

The Observer view on EU negotiations

John Springford, Simon Tilford
15 October 2017
The Observer
The immediate imposition, for example, of EU tariffs on British exports, ranging from 4% to 40%, would be massively disruptive. Among the hardest hit would be the car industry, the UK’s fastest-growing exporter of manufactured goods, according to a study by the Centre for European Reform.

Piqd: Armes Deutschland – 15 Jahre Hartz IV

Christian Odendahl
13 October 2017
Christian Odendahl ist Chefökonom des Londoner Centre for European Reform (CER) und als solcher schreibt und denkt er zu europäischen Wirtschaftsfragen: Eurokrise, Banken, Wachstum, Handel, politische Ökonomie. In seinem Policy Brief “The Hartz Myth: A closer look at Germany’s labour market reforms” hat er untersucht, was die ökonomischen Umstände der Reformen waren.

Spain considers change to constitution as way out of crisis

Camino Mortera-Martinez
13 October 2017
Financial Times
“As much as Spaniards cherish their hard-fought for constitution, it’s time to change it,” says Camino Mortera-Martinez of the Centre for European Reform think-tank. Like other specialists, she thinks the fundamental need is to update the constitution so that it gives more formal recognition to Spain’s rich regional diversity.

Los premier Theresy May wisi na włosku

Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
13 October 2017
Rzeczpospolita
Po tragicznych dla May przedterminowych wyborach, z których wyszła z mniejszościowym rządem, parlament w coraz większym stopniu korzysta ze swoich uprawnień do kontroli procesu rokowań z Unią – przyznaje „Rz" Agata Gostyńska z londyńskiego Center for European Reform (CER). – Jednak sondaże pokazują, że przedterminowe wybory mogą doprowadzić do zwycięstwa laburzystów, a nowym premierem może zostać Jeremy Corbyn. Każdy deputowany torysów dwa razy się zastanowi zanim zdecyduje się na takie rozwiązanie – dodaje.

Brexit talks are set to miss their first big deadline

Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
12 October 2017
CNBC
"I fear all this is too little for Michel Barnier (the European negotiator) to ask the EU leaders to give him a green light to open up negotiations about the future," Agata Gostynska-Jakubowska, research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, told CNBC via email. "He is a serious statesman — he will not make any recommendations concerning sufficient progress until he is perfectly certain that he has found common ground with the UK," she added.

CER podcast: Peacekeepers for Ukraine?

Sophia Besch, Luigi Scazzieri
11 October 2017
Sophia Besch talks to Luigi Scazzieri about Russian President Putin’s proposal to send a UN peacekeeping force to eastern Ukraine.

Brexit nemeses mapped: Member-states hold all the cards and this is who really hates UK

10 October 2017
The Express
Charles Grant, director for think-tank the Centre for European Reform, tweeted: “I understand Michel Barnier wanted to close chapter on citizens rights - UK had ceded on 95% but member-states wouldn’t let him.”

'Berlin is being quite German' Merkel's businesses won't budge on Brexit deal with UK

Sophia Besch
10 October 2017
The Express
Sophie Besch claimed “Berlin is being quite German” about the whole Brexit process and argued that the UK’s exit from the bloc was not at the “top of the list” for Angela Merkel. Speaking to the World at One, Ms Besch rejected suggestions that German car manufacturers and business leaders would fight to protect trade with the UK. She said: “Berlin is really being quite German about the negotiations so far which means it is prioritising the rules of the EU and of the EU’s negotiating team under Barnier. 

The EU has 36 free trade deals with non-EU countries - will they roll over to Britain after Brexit?

Beth Oppenheim
10 October 2017
Prospect
For the past 44 years, the UK has relied upon the European Union, formerly the European Economic Community, to negotiate trade deals.

BBC World at One: Germany has economic interests in Brexit

Sophia Besch
09 October 2017
Sophia Besch speaks to the BBC World at One about the Brexit negotiations (from 12.00 mins).

Marketplace: Will Merkel go along with Macron's EU reform plan?

Christian Odendahl
09 October 2017
Christian Odendahl of the Centre for European Reform in Berlin said the new coalition government will tread carefully and try not to upset the new French president.

Will Merkel go along with Macron's EU reform plan

Christian Odendahl
09 October 2017
Marketplace
Christian Odendahl of the Centre for European Reform in Berlin said the new coalition government will tread carefully and try not to upset the new French president. "Germany does know, and I think the FDP also knows, that Macron and France are incredibly important to Germany and the stability of the European Union, now with Britain out," Odendahl said.

Spanish constitution needs overhaul to avert Catalonia crisis

Camino Mortera-Martinez
09 October 2017
EU Observer
Television footage of Guardia Civil officers in riot gear manhandling Catalonian citizens as they tried to vote in Sunday's independence referendum has shocked Europe.

The plan to save Europe

Sophia Besch, Benjamin Haddad
07 October 2017
The Atlantic
Emmanuel Macron’s dream of rescuing the EU isn’t going anywhere without Angela Merkel.

Tok FM: Po "kaszlącym" przemówieniu Theresy May

Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
06 October 2017
Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska talks to Tok FM about Theresa May's ‘coughing’ speech at the Conservative party annual conference.

Meanwhile in Catalonia

Camino Mortera-Martinez
05 October 2017
Politico London Playbook
Writing for the Centre for European Reform, Camino Mortera-Martinez says much of Catalonia does not want independence. She urges Rajoy to consider radical constitutional change, giving more devolved power to every region of Spain.