A referendum on whether the United Kingdom should remain in the European Union is due to take place before the end of 2017. If there is agreement at the European Union Council on 18-19 February 2016 the referendum can take place as soon as June 2016.
David Cameron has concluded a one week EU whistle-stop tour in his bid to reform the 28-nation bloc and win back powers from Brussels. Coming after a fresh win in last month’s general election, the British Prime Minister set out on a charm offensive to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the Union ahead of the 2017 in-out referendum. His handpicked stops were few but telling as to whose support David Cameron is seeking. The Prime Minister kicked off a week of talks by meeting with EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on 25 May. David Cameron did not miss the opportunity to “underline that the British people are not happy with the status quo and believe that the EU needs
The Brits and the Poles have voted last week in parliamentary and presidential elections, respectively. But if anything unites these two European elections, it is the way they illustrate the hollowing of the democratic process. While conservatives tout more of the same, the Left… Well, what Left?
By Lorenzo Genito
The results of the 2015 UK general election, although unexpected, are pretty clear. Among the biggest losers are the Liberal Democrats, whose parliamentary representation was slashed from 57 to only 8 seats. The UK Independence Party (UKIP), despite having obtained excellent results in some constituencies, has ended up with only 1 seat. The winners of this election are, first and foremost, the Tories, who managed to score a small yet sufficient majority in the Commons.
