Juncker to offer EU "pathways" to post-Brexit unity

[webfact]

Juncker to offer EU "pathways" to post-Brexit unity

By Alastair Macdonald

REUTERS

 

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker attends a debate on the priorities of the incoming Malta Presidency of the EU for the next six months at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, January 18, 2017. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker will propose to national leaders next month a handful of options for shoring up unity once Britain launches a withdrawal that some fear could trigger a further unravelling of the bloc.

 

The European Commission president wants some states to be able to deepen cooperation further and faster without the whole bloc having to follow suit, but this idea has raised concerns, especially among poorer eastern countries, that their richer neighbours may use Brexit to cut EU subsidies to them.

 

Juncker has said he will argue for what is commonly called a "multi-speed Europe" in a White Paper policy document. Juncker will chair a special meeting of his commissioners on Tuesday but a spokesman said on Monday it was not yet clear when exactly the paper would be published.

 

Officials will not detail what the proposals are likely to be, though say they would probably not mean major institutional changes or treaty amendments for which most governments, beset by challenges from eurosceptic nationalists, have no appetite.

 

Some options are not mutually exclusive and could be combined, all with the aim of persuading voters disillusioned by years of economic malaise that the EU is worth preserving.

 

By setting out four or five practical "pathways to unity" or "alternative avenues for cooperation at 27", EU officials say Juncker aims to give the 27 leaders of the post-Brexit Union some broad choices to start considering at a summit in Rome on March 25, where they will mark 60 years of the bloc's founding.

 

As the 27 also try to hold to a common line in the two-year negotiating period with Britain which they expect London to launch before the Rome summit, the main aim of the Juncker proposals is to overcome internal divisions, EU officials said.

 

He wants to see responses by the autumn -- by which time the Netherlands, France and Germany will have held elections marked by challenges from anti-EU movements that have been inspired by last year's votes for Brexit and U.S. President Donald Trump.

 

FRICTION

 

"This is no longer a time when we can imagine everyone doing the same thing together," Juncker said last week, echoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, who called on Feb. 3 for an EU of "varying speeds".

 

Their remarks, however, have perplexed other states whose envoys note that existing rules already allow for "enhanced cooperation" in various fields, such as the 19-nation euro zone.

 

"A multi-speed Europe is a fact. No one has a problem with it," said one senior EU diplomat. "So why are they talking like this now? They are irritated with the east ... It is divisive."

 

Noting that a key obstacle to deeper integration of, for example, the euro zone was disagreement between Berlin and Paris on how to do it, the diplomat said talk of a two-speed approach sounded like an attempt to penalise the post-communist east.

 

Hungary and Poland in particular have irritated the EU by challenging its rules on democracy and resisting calls to take in asylum-seekers, while Germany has taken in over a million.

 

Hollande accused easterners of treating the Union "like a cash box". With Brexit leaving a hole in the EU budget, some diplomats see a push by Paris and Berlin to cut their subsidies.

 

German officials say Merkel does not see one specific set of countries going for deeper cooperation but imagines varying groups moving ahead in different fields. For example, defence integration is a priority for Germany.

 

"Some see this as a risk to unity," one senior official said of Juncker's multi-speed idea. "Others see a risk if we don't do it and we fail to aspire."

 

(Editing by Gareth Jones)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-28

 

[Laughing Gravy]

Get ready for it. Making it even more difficult to lave the so called democratic EU. This man instead of reform, is doing the opposite and 'closing ranks'. When will this horrible man realize that countries don't want to be told what to do and when by others, in a little piece of land called Brussels.

[gamini]

I think the EU will be much better off without Britain. They never adopted the euro and were just in the EU to see what they could get out of it. Brits never seem to integrate anywhere. They don't like foreigners and they never bothered to learn another language. Good riddance I say.

[nontabury]

10 minutes ago, gamini said:

I think the EU will be much better off without Britain. They never adopted the euro and were just in the EU to see what they could get out of it. Brits never seem to integrate anywhere. They don't like foreigners and they never bothered to learn another language. Good riddance I say.

Don't take it personally,the Brits like Europe and the Europeans, they do not like the E.U. The same as an increasing number of Europeans are now starting to realise that the disadvantages of membership of this corrupt so -called Union far outweigh the advantages

 

   

Edited February 28, 2017 by nontabury

[canopus1969]

14 minutes ago, gamini said:

I think the EU will be much better off without Britain. They never adopted the euro and were just in the EU to see what they could get out of it. Brits never seem to integrate anywhere. They don't like foreigners and they never bothered to learn another language. Good riddance I say.

Agree but the simple reason being is the Brits are superior  

[Scott]

Please stay on topic and stop with the troll remarks.   The topic is about the pathways to post Brexit.   It's now about whether the British are good or bad.  

[nontabury]

3 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

Agree but the simple reason being is the Brits are superior  

No we are not at all superior. We are just simple ahead of the trend, on this particular issue.

Edited February 28, 2017 by nontabury

[Laughing Gravy]

58 minutes ago, nontabury said:

Don't take it personally,the Brits like Europe and the Europeans, they do not like the E.U. The same as an increasing number of Europeans are now starting to realise that the disadvantages of membership of this corrupt so -called Union far outweigh the advantages

 

   

 So well put. The EU is taking away countries within Europe, identities away. the French, Dutch, the Italians and making a 'one size fits all' which it does not. It is becoming the norm now, sadly in my opinion, if you don't become apart of us (EU) you are against the countries in it, which isn't true. it is the federalization of Europe I am against.

 

As for the Euro, what a farce that has been and I am so glad the UK didn't join, as most countries like Greece, Italy, Portugal etc etc wish they hadn't either.

[almodeller]

If you can get hold of the BBC comedy series of yes minister and yes prime minister and laugh at the comments made many years ago but seem like they were made yesterday

[Laughing Gravy]

1 hour ago, gamini said:

I think the EU will be much better off without Britain. They never adopted the euro and were just in the EU to see what they could get out of it.

Actually like the other original 7 countries is what about trade in the early 1970s. It went pear shape when all the other countries were allowed in and then made the Euro. all self inflicted by the EU commissions greed of control and unify, through divide and conquer. So as the EU will be better off without the UK, I assume you are happy that there is no punishment, we can leave now and say goodbye, as the EU doesn't need us.

 

[Baerboxer]

6 hours ago, gamini said:

I think the EU will be much better off without Britain. They never adopted the euro and were just in the EU to see what they could get out of it. Brits never seem to integrate anywhere. They don't like foreigners and they never bothered to learn another language. Good riddance I say.

 

Then you need to think some more, preferably after some research. 

 

Britain is a net contributor to the EU budget. That means it puts in more than it takes out. Now, how many others are net contributors? Makes you assertion of seeing what they can get out look a bit silly? 

 

19 out of 28 member states adopted the Euro. Do you think all the other 8 countries that haven't should leave the EU as well as Britain?

 

Not sure where you get the idea British people are against all foreigners - perhaps your attitude of anti Britain might be a clue.

 

English is the World's number 1 language so the British have, like Americans, Aussies etc don't have the same necessity to learn another. However many do.  I speak 3 European languages, and have some skill in two Asian ones. But, because English is so widely spoken and used often find many nationalities use it as a common language - German and French often communicate in English IME.

 

And which member state are you from? I ask that to bring back on topic.

 

France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg want control of the EU. They want to push through their own agenda items quickly and impose them on the other, newer member, East Europeans. Juncker is now trying to use Brexit as a means to slip these changes in. If you haven't worked out he serves Germany, France and Brussels, in that order then you must be missing something.

 

Germany, under pressure by NATO for constantly failing to meet it's contractual financial obligations reacts by pushing it's common defense i.e let's have a EU military - HQ in Germany, run by Germans of course. (They also got Juncker to say NATO should calculate the spend figures differently to allow the inclusion of social spend - pathetic).

France isn't a robust economy and fears loosing out when the budget hole created by Brexit needs filling. Italy is in a much worse shape than Greece. 

 

The East Europeans are wary, rightly so, of being dictated to by this controlling click who will interfere in sovereign matters, still want to impose refugee quotas on them and likely cut the money they've been getting. 

 

Anyone who thinks the EU, the Euro zone and democracy within the EU is in good shape is delusional. This is just another strand in trying to keep and extend control and impose the federal vision. A vision that politicians and bureaucrats have that will never ever be put to the people.

Edited February 28, 2017 by Baerboxer

[ilostmypassword]

6 hours ago, gamini said:

I think the EU will be much better off without Britain. They never adopted the euro and were just in the EU to see what they could get out of it. Brits never seem to integrate anywhere. They don't like foreigners and they never bothered to learn another language. Good riddance I say.

Most economists outside of the Eurozone never understood the rationale for the Euro. The aftermath of the financial crash of 2008 only confirmed the foolishness of the Euro.  Fiscal union without financial union is a formula for disaster.  As the achingly slow recovery from the last crash shows.

[Baerboxer]

10 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

Most economists outside of the Eurozone never understood the rationale for the Euro. The aftermath of the financial crash of 2008 only confirmed the foolishness of the Euro.  Fiscal union without financial union is a formula for disaster.  As the achingly slow recovery from the last crash shows.

 

Totally agree. Greece and Italy are likely to be the first casualties. And both are accusing Germany already of setting the Euro up only to benefit themselves.

 

I think the Euro was actually intended as the precursor to financial union, and more and more union to federalism. Just didn't happen in the way they wanted. 

[ilostmypassword]

16 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Totally agree. Greece and Italy are likely to be the first casualties. And both are accusing Germany already of setting the Euro up only to benefit themselves.

 

I think the Euro was actually intended as the precursor to financial union, and more and more union to federalism. Just didn't happen in the way they wanted. 

Whatever the motives, so far, the only major beneficiary I can see is Germany which in effect has a currency which is much lower in value than it should be in relation to the German economy. Germany should thank Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and a few others for that.

Edited February 28, 2017 by ilostmypassword

[CharlieK]

1 hour ago, ilostmypassword said:

Most economists outside of the Eurozone never understood the rationale for the Euro. The aftermath of the financial crash of 2008 only confirmed the foolishness of the Euro.  Fiscal union without financial union is a formula for disaster.  As the achingly slow recovery from the last crash shows.

It could be argued that the UK is being held back because of the EU. It was right not to have joined the Euro currency fiasco. 

[ilostmypassword]

5 minutes ago, CharlieK said:

It could be argued that the UK is being held back because of the EU. It was right not to have joined the Euro currency fiasco. 

And because it's not a member of the Eurozone, it has one less serious ground for complaint.