Social Europe Journal

Germany is not bailing out Europe, it is rescuing itself – Ben Chu

Poor Germany, forced to provide massive guarantees for its profligate European neighbours. The Federal Republic did everything right – pushing its domestic labour costs down, keeping public borrowing low. And its neighbours did everything wrong – letting wages spiral and running up big public debt piles. But now prudent Germany is being forced to foot the entire bill. Independent

Britain needs a vote on Europe: But not now – Timothy Garton Ash

All Britain’s political parties should make a commitment in their general election manifestos to hold a referendum on Britain’s EU membership during the lifetime of the next parliament. That referendum should ask a plain question: do you want Britain to stay in the EU? Whatever the EU has by then become, that is, and on the best terms that our government has then been able to negotiate. In or out. Yes or no. Only thus will we work out who we are and where we want our country to be. Without that defining moment, we will carry on mugwumping for ever more. Guardian

Britain will win if it leads reforms for the whole of the EU but risks losing if it demands a special deal – Phillip Souta

A recent story in the FT by George Parker trails the announcement of a long-awaited coalition agreement commitment to review the “balance of competencies” between the UK and the EU. This will be a process David Cameron will want to keep a very close hold of as it risks causing him major problems with his self-avowedly euro-sceptic backbenchers. Business for New Europe

Do Europeans still believe in the EU? – Daniel Debomy

Do the Europeans still believe in the European Union? That is not an easy question that could be bluntly answered by a mere ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Eurosceptics might say that there was never any strong belief in the EU anyway, but they would be wrong. Looking back over 25 years of quantitative Eurobarometer surveys, we can clearly point out the high level of “Euro-favour” that prevailed at the end of the 1980s – considering the average in the 12 member states of the time. It reached a peak in 1991. Public Service Europe

Why Europe must stick to its guns on aviation ETS – Tim Johnson

On 1 January this year the aviation sector was brought into the EU’s Emissions Trading System, the ETS. The decision by Europeans to do this has caused a level of consternation around the world but despite the widespread opposition the Commission is right to stick to its guns at least until it is presented with a credible, global alternative. The clamour and attention at an international level offer the best opportunity in years to find a global solution for the sector to address the damaging impact of its rising greenhouse gas emissions. E!Sharp

Europe on the rack: Why the euro is breaking the European dream – Charlemagne’s notebook

The longer the euro area’s debt crisis drags on, the more it resembles an instrument of economic torture. Like the medieval rack, every turn of the crisis tears Europe further apart. Cyprus has announced it will seek a bail-out. Spain has formally asked for money to recapitalise its banks. The Greek limb is close to being ripped off. How long can the Italian one hold? Economist

The euro’s latest reprieve – Joseph Stiglitz

Like an inmate on death row, the euro has received another last-minute stay of execution. It will survive a little longer. The markets are celebrating, as they have after each of the four previous “euro crisis” summits – until they come to understand that the fundamental problems have yet to be addressed. Social Europe Journal

France: Ready to jump ship – Hugh Carnegy and Scheherazade Daneshkhu

The UK prime minister last month riled France’s new Socialist government when he declared he would lay on a five-star welcome for anyone moving to London to avoid the tax re­gime promised by President François Hollande – including his election pledge of a 75 per cent marginal rate on incomes above €1m a year. Financial Times

Germany and the euro: Babies and bathwater

Much of the world outside Germany may be under the impression that neither Angela Merkel, the chancellor, nor the German parliament is acting fast or zealously enough to avoid a collapse of the euro zone. Inside Germany, a different view is taking hold: Mrs Merkel and even parliament may be forging ahead too fast, and possibly with unconstitutional zeal. It so happens that this view seems to hold sway in a crucial constituency: the red-robed judges of the federal constitutional court in Karlsruhe. Economist

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