I've been pointed towards this by @hanskundnani by @MaryFitzger - entitled "What does it mean to be โpro-Europeanโ today?" While there is something to it, I think it mixes up different terms, and hence it's not quite right... This ๐งต will explain
I am also of course aware the title might not be Hans's choice...
The first issue is a basic one: to be a European, or to be a pro-European, are not - in my view - the same things
2/13
I will happily call myself a European, but not a pro-European (although plenty would describe *me* as the latter), because pro-European leads us to looking at the European Union in terms of more or less of it, rather than the individual policy outcomes it can produce
A short ๐งต about Ursula von der Leyen - not least in response to critique of me labelling her a "second rate" politician earlier
"Second rate" is not quite right. Perhaps "politician with an unusual combination of strengths and weaknesses" is better.
1/10
The central issue is where and when vdL is a classic insider, and where she is an outsider
vdL is daughter of Ernst Albrecht, previously CDU Ministerprรคsident in Lower Saxony - so in and of the party en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Albโฆ
2/10
Yet other aspects set her apart. She is a women in a male dominated party (Merkel of course being the other major exception), and a protestant in a party dominated by catholics. And she's a medical doctor in a political system dominated by lawyers.
๐ช๐บ sees the reality of how checks are going to have to work - for both sides - and sees any slippage of timetables as a problem. If ๐ฌ๐ง cannot meet the 1 July deadline - just like any Brexit deadline - the question is *WHEN* it can, not *IF* it can or will
2/10
๐ฌ๐ง sees it differently. Complying is costly and onerous, requires IT systems, sites for checks, and training of staff - so it pays lip service to complying, but keeps it vague as to how and when it will comply - the Government does not actually *DO* the necessary
Note: Gove (and the UK Government) can only get away with this because it is only about Northern Ireland, and v few Tory backbenchers really care about NI.
The EU response should be seen in this context - Gove is losing *no* political capital by announcing this.
Note: this is no comment on what *should* happen, but a comment on the politics of this, UK side.
This also should not be seen as a template for any sort of grace periods for the rest of the UK - because for that to happen Tory backbenchers *will* scream.
This is of course a rather inevitable development - the UK was *not* ready for the implications of Brexit on Northern Ireland, as pretty much every expert pointed out. And it is better to acknowledge this than be in a state of permanent denial.
58 locations of really nerdy EU stuff - places were Treaties were signed, places where EU institutions and agencies are located
And these are not *just* EU institution buildings in Brussels. That'd be too boring...
If any of these locations are wrong, or there are places you think I should add (I have only 3 that relate to historical people in the EU - if you know where someone was born or buried that would be excellent)