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Brexit, briefly

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In the central Mediterranean, Europe’s forgotten crisis grinds on: 4,752 are dead or missing, while 175,000 more have risked their lives by getting into unseaworthy vessels. The EU’s leaders will meet in Brussels today, once again, to try to come up with a solution, an explanation or perhaps a scapegoat.

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A draft “annex” prepared for the summit expects EU leaders to “nominate the European Commission as the Union negotiator”. This is good news for Michel Barnier, the Commission’s Brexit point-man. The hitch is that representatives of the EU member states (the Council staff and presidency) will be in the negotiating room as well, albeit “in a supporting role”.

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Such were the first comments of Paolo Gentiloni, after being asked on Sunday by Italy’s president to become the country’s new prime minister.

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Michel Barnier played his greatest hits during his first public foray as the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator.

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By Arthur Beesley

By Arthur Beesley

It’s not a precedent any president would want to set. François Hollande is the first French head of state since the second world war not to stand for re-election. Laid low by dreadful popularity ratings, the socialist Hollande had little chance of prevailing next year against centre-right candidate François Fillon or Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front.

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For much of the recent past, Spain’s Congreso de los Diputados offered little in the way of political entertainment.

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“Process is power.” This mantra for EU diplomats will come to the fore during the two years of negotiations that will determine the terms of Britain’s break with Europe.

By Alan Beattie

Much horror and perturbation among the Asia-Pacific countries meeting earlier this month in Lima at Donald Trump’s threat to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the proposed regional trade agreement of twelve countries.

A visibly upset Martin Schulz called time on his career in the European Parliament, triggering a scramble to replace him in Brussels and political ructions in Berlin. Here are some of the questions his departure raise.

The European Parliament was stale during Martin Schulz’s tenure at the assembly’s president, which began in 2012. While fringe parties created a fuss at the edge, at the core was an alliance between his centre-left S&D and the centre right EPP, in which they broadly agreed to chomp through whatever legislation they were served. Having being kept on a leash for years, some MEPs may want to run free. But they need to be careful. After elections in 2014, eurosceptic parties make up about a third of the chamber. If the EU is to function, then some form of deal needs to be cut between the more moderate groups. Horse trading over who takes the presidency will play a big role.

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Officials in Brussels have been working on plans to stop countries from demanding that companies keep data within national borders.

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Move over, France and the Netherlands: there might be another big election in the first half of 2017 with the potential of delivering a populist leader to the helm of government in an influential EU state.

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Message to the world: No, French pollsters are not to blame for failing to predict the stunning outcome of the French rightwing primary last Sunday.

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By Arthur Beesley

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Nicknamed “Dr No” during the Greek debt crisis, German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble may attract a similar moniker for the Brexit negotiations.

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Not so for Gunther Oettinger, the EU’s digital policy chief and soon-to-be budget boss.