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In the heart of Europe's current crisis, one of the continent's foremost statesmen issues a clarion call to radically remake the European Union in the mold of the United States' own federal government Europe is caught in its greatest crisis since the Second World War. The catalog of ills seems endless: an economic crisis spread through most of Europe's Mediterranean tier that has crippled Greece and driven a wedge between northern and southern Europe; terrorist attacks in Paris, Cologne, Brussels, and Nice; growing aggression from Russia in Ukraine and the Baltic states; and refugees escaping war-torn neighbors. The European Union's inability to handle any of these disasters was a driving fa...
In the heart of Europe's current crisis, one of the continent's foremost statesmen issues a clarion call to radically remake the European Union in the mold of the United States' own federal government Europe is caught in its greatest crisis since the Second World War. The catalog of ills seems endless: an economic crisis spread through most of Europe's Mediterranean tier that has crippled Greece and driven a wedge between northern and southern Europe; terrorist attacks in Paris, Cologne, Brussels, and Nice; growing aggression from Russia in Ukraine and the Baltic states; and refugees escaping war-torn neighbors. The European Union's inability to handle any of these disasters was a driving fa...
France and the Netherlands have said "no" to the European Constitutional Treaty. In addition to domestic political motives, contradictory fears were in play. Some thought the Treaty brought with it "too much Europe." Some thought it did not bring enough Europe. Others, particularly in the Netherlands, were protesting against the supposed cost of Europe. Yet others thought that the European Union's enlargement has gone ahead much too quickly.What is the next step? The Belgian Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt does not mince his words. He wishes to create a "United States of Europe," with all member states of the European Union participating if possible, with a group of "pioneers" if necessary. His book is required reading for anyone who cares about Europe.
Europe is in crisis. How did we get here? What didn't work? Faced with such an emergency, are the euro zone states not creating an undemocratic monster? Is euroscepticism not reactionary? Could a federation of 27 actually work? This book is a call. A wake up call directed to every citizen. It is an exercise in lucidity that encourages reflection. And it is also an alarm bell. The tone is frank, passionate. The arguments hard hitting: "Europe must once and for all get rid of the navel gazing of its nation-states. A radical revolution is needed. A large European revolution. And a European federal Union must emerge. A Union that enables Europe to participate in the postnational world of tomorrow. By laziness, cowardice and lack of vision, too many of our Heads of State and Government prefer not to see what is at stake. Let's wake them up. Let's confront them with their impotence. And give them no respite until they have taken the European way, the way to a Europe of the future, towards a Europe for Europeans. The era of empty summits and statements is over. Now is the time for action."
The focus of this book is on the fifteen-member European Union but its coverage extends to many other bodies which form part of today's Europe, such as the Council of Europe, the European Economic Area and Western European Union.
This book is a bold attempt to make sense of the extraordinary events taking place in present-day Europe.
Is the existing trade agreement good enough? Get facts, not spin! The basic trade and cooperation agreement has proved woefully insufficient for Britain's needs. It has reduced the supply of doctors, nurses, lorry drivers, agricultural and hospitality workers, bringing pressure and chaos to everyday life. It has hit or will damage exports and employment in fishing, food, artistic and other services and it threatens the peace in Ireland. Leaving the EU internal energy market has increased energy prices relative to the rest of Europe. Promised new trade opportunities have vanished. This book explains alternative relationships with Europe. The detrimental effect on trade in both goods and servi...
'Essential reading for anyone anxious to understand the background to the Brexit debate' Tablet With all the political infighting in British politics over Brexit dominating the news cycle, we almost forgot who we were negotiating with. Now, in Blind Man's Brexit, we get to see and hear exactly what was going on in the corridors of power in Brussels, and how the EU comprehensively outmanoeuvred the UK government. When Lode Desmet met Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's representative on Brexit, about filming a fly-on-the-wall documentary on the negotiations, he could never have imagined the unique access he would be granted and the extraordinary story that he would end up filming. As t...
In his latest book Guy Verhofstadt, former Belgian Prime Minister, provides an analysis of how the European Union can tackle the current economic and financial crisis. He pleads for more European integration and less protectionism. In addition Verhofstadt argues that the issuing of Euro bonds by the European Investment Bank is necessary.According to Verhofstadt the current crisis is comparable with the recent crisis in Japan where the housing market was overheated, the population was aging and problems with banks arose. In spite of 12 recovery plans the Japanese economy never fully recovered. Europe should prevent such a scenario, but at the moment Member States are presenting a range of national recovery plans without much coordination. They also tend to return to protectionist reflexes.
This book provides the first in-depth account of how European Union opt-outs and differentiated integration work in practice.