WikiLeaks has exposed secret conversation and list of countries who had their citizens being spied by their own governments through German based Gamma Group International’ FinFisher spyware. In a series 4 of SpyFiles documents, WikiLeaks published that Slovakia, Mongolia, Qatar, South Africa, Bahrain, …
Spain is unlikely to veto an independent Scotland’s EU membership
Dani Cetrà is a Research Fellow at the Scottish Centre on Constitutional Change (SCCC). If Scotland votes to become independent on 18 September then it will seek to become a member state of the European Union. However some commentators have …
Scotland’s Place in Europe
Bartosz Raubo @braubo On the 18th of September, over 4 million of Scotland’s residents will vote to decide whether the country should secede from the United Kingdom to which it has been bound for over three centuries and forge its …
New EU Russia sanctions published
The European Sanctions blog by Maya Lester, Brick Court Chambers & Michael O’Kane, Peters & Peters Solicitors LLP As foreshadowed, the European Union has today published its new sanctions relating to Russia. They take the form of: (a) expanded criteria for including people and entities on the …
The Pope’s lobbyist
The EU Bubble Original The Pope’s foreseen visit to the European Parliament in November is not merely a symbolic occurrence. Many atheists would just wave their hand away at the thought of it. However, the pope is the head of …
Taking the Temperature in Brussels
Roderick Parkes heads the EU Program at the Polish Institute of International Affairs. In recent days, EU leaders have named a new chair of the European Council, the body that brings together EU heads of state and government, appointed the next high …
The masterful Jean-Claude Juncker
@AllieRenison is head of Europe and Trade Policy at the Institute of Directors. For all of the protestations about Jean Claude Juncker’s unsuitability for what is, ultimately, the EU’s top job (sorry, Angela Merkel), the unveiling of his new Commission yesterday has confirmed …
Ireland’s latest abortion scandal
Lisa Smyth is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Queen’s University Belfast Ireland’s abortion laws have recently generated controversy following the case of a rape victim – ‘Ms Y’ – who was refused an abortion and instead gave birth by Caesarean …
The New European Commission: Inward- or Outward-Looking?
Judy Dempsey, Nonresident senior associate, Carnegie Europe, Editor in Chief, Strategic Europe Incoming European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker’s first words on announcing the members of his new commission were about jobs and growth. Enlargement and the EU’s neighbours are second rank. Putting …
Scotland’s transition to EU membership
Jo Murkens is Associate Professor in Law at the LSE. Dr Murkens was previously a researcher at the Constitution Unit, UCL, where he led the research on the legal, political and economic conditions and consequences of Scottish independence. Jo has …