Lol… From the Brexit country: “We have to get to a point amongst western allied countries where we’re not putting up barriers to societal and economic development amongst ourselves”

Excellent. Why not make 100 of those - real ones - and drive them around the country?

There is apparently still confusion as to what the 35% non-EU content means in SAFE (buying of defence equipment by EU members with EU loans). 35% allowable content means that EU buyers can select up to 35% non-EU content. (1/2) www.politico.eu/article/uk-e...

What is remarkable about this is not the fact that the UK is effectively sidelined - that was already baked in the Brexit decision. The remarkable thing is the passivity of UK: its actions amount to pleading: nothing about a positive contribution... (1/2) www.politico.eu/article/made...

UK really does not like their young: Note that both UK gov and opposition see youth unemployment as unimportant.

This statement is an embarrassment

Those that advocated Brexit made this treaty a necessity. Of course UK is fully free to ditch the treaty if it does not want it.

In which Paul Krugman argues that - while the US Trump tariffs will shamble along for a while - they are in fact already dead (like zombies) - both in intended and in actual effect. paulkrugman.substack.com/p/attack-of-...

More than a year after negotiations concluded, EU agrees to sign latest suite of bilateral agreements with Switzerland Insights here for UK into arrangements that can be concluded with the EU… and what it understands by ‘a balance of rights and obligations’ www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...

The Caerphilly byelection showed that the future contests will be Reform versus "any other party but Reform". If the Greens are the "anti-Reform" party, it is an existential threat to Labour In Caerphilly, Plaid Cymru won. Reform was second.

+++OUT NOW+++++ The definitive assessment of regulation after Brexit. Masterminded by @jreland.bsky.social 1/?

On the eve of the 4th anniversary of Russia’s full-scale war, we raise the Ukrainian flag at our headquarters. So it can fly proudly at the heart of our Union, where it belongs. One day Ukraine will be safe. Ukraine will be free. Ukraine will be part of our European family.

It is not yet clear if the US has or has not backed out of this deal. It migth be for the best to wait for the US to provide clarity, and until that is given, see everything as ongoing negotiations.

It is remarkable how awfully bad this system is when only high-earners can pay off their student loan while every other graduate is stuck with it for 30 years Look to the rest of Europe: There is no requirement for nightmare-ishly bad policies www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

As always, the key question - and the big hurdle - is if Iceland wants to be part of the European Community. If yes, all problems can be solved and they can become EU members. if no, then nothing can be done.

The fact that Orban is untrustworthy was already well known. Any plan that does not factor in Orban going back on his word is not good enough.

UK youth really get the short end of the stick: high unemplyment, no Youth Mobility, too high education fees and thus too much debt, low graduate premium. And the certainty that UK gov will do no thing.

This is indeed the UK gov message:

This is all deeply weird.

It is notable how strange this is: The UK did Brexit and because of that the 90/180 rule affects UK drivers and travellers. All those in UK that have a problem with that should go to UK gov. We in EU have nothing to do with it.

“The Brexit campaign kicked off a decade ago. Here's how 10 promises made to voters hold up today” www.bigissue.com/news/politic...

The EU should forcefully move with its Buy European push, as it helps our strategic autonomy. Any US retaliation will ensure that the EU becomes even less dependent on an unreliable "partner". The old alliance is gone.

This is quite strange: Why would UK graduates have an ever-lower graduation premium? My hunch is that part of the cause is a UK higher education system that is far too expensive and at the same time lacking in quality.

Always interesting, but the 'gem' is near the end: Pointed comment on how dreadful the UK gov programme to build "a high-tech frictionless border" was: It is now shelved - after 110 million costs - but it stands in a tradition of huge hubris about this: A monument to British state incompetence.

This is good news: Made in Europe will mean that EU industry can develop itself, become more self-sufficient, secure and independent, creating growth and jobs in the EU.

I feel like we've all lost sight of the fact of the sheer magnitude of the failure of Putin's latest offensive, i.e. the one that began in 2024—mainly because it's been so baked into the day-to-day. Far and away the least successful offensive we've seen in not just years, but decades.

Also a hangover from the UK’s Brexit: EU countries - rightly - withdrew support for UK.

Quite a major political choice by the UK. There are precedents for the UK refusing to let the US use its bases for military operations, but not many.

Some people break their heads over the reasons why the UK Labour government is so unpopular. I am willing to make a guess: www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Beyond time that the rules are properly enforced. This means more jobs for EU people.

Another likely fruitless attempt by UK to access EU funds. Why does this not work? Because the UK comes empty-handed. If you are a 3rd world country, It is understandable that you seek development aid, but a 'normal' country like UK should pay in to get something. www.politico.eu/article/brit...

The many-faced enemies of Europe are stirring the pot again. Here they are working against the defence of Poland.

The 6-8% hit to UK GDP was also in the range forecasted pre Brexit: 4% lower GDP was just the average of a range of projections: This is why UK gov struggles: a 6-8% hit to GDP is so huge that basically nothing will can be done about it: any other effect is dwarfed.

According to internal emails obtained as part of a FOIA request, top ICE officials knew as early as March 2025 that officers were using dramatically more force against civilians and the targets of enforcement operations — months before federal officers shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

The UK is stuck in a ‘bad policy loop’ This is how they deal with higher education:

Even this can be made difficult by UK The Spanish side of the Gibraltar border will be open (Gibraltar will be part of Schengen), so the UK side of Gibraltar is only some cosplaying by UK border guards. How difficult can that be?

Brexit created trade frictions with the EU. The EU controls its own imports. The UK has no influence over that Inability to grasp this simple fact did costs UK 110m pounds One other gem: in 2024, post-Brexit border controls did cost the UK 4.7 billion pounds. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

We are the laughing stock of the world.

It’s not just that a large majority want Britain to rejoin the EU, it’s the fact that the majority steadily continues to grow…

This is a stain on the Tony Blair institute:

I note that the love declared by the UK Cabinet Office is not to the EU but to UK consumers.

UK seems to simply give up. The windows to the world are closing: cut off from Europe, anti-foreigner, and now this. I used to say that UK is becoming Turkey (not understood, and a regular headache), but that may be too high to aim for.

For sure this is a way of winning the next elections, but the question is if Starmer wants to win. For now he seems content to appease Reform and slowly ambling towards electoral defeat.

No senior EU officials I've spoken to have a positive assessment of Rubio's speech. Not one

“It is accepted that the US nuclear umbrella is no longer guaranteed” Good. Now serious steps towards a European nuclear deterrent are needed.

Note the Von der Leyen rebuke of Rutte: www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

This shows the farcical state of the ‘negotiations’: - Ukraine should hold elections, but not Russia - security guarantees by US do not exist - the US helps with nothing, so it cannot pressure - 12 trillion USD ‘vapourware’ deals are offered by a dirt-poor Russia. It a joke - embarrassing.

Rubio's speech at the MSC was not (and should not be) in the least bit reassuring for Europe, the fundamental substance not different to Vance last year This US Admin and Europe no longer share the same values This will continue to throw up risks in Ukraine, Greenland, big tech etc

We Europeans are too soft & polite sometimes. Rubio urges us to give up on climate change, to re conquer the world, adopt Trumpian views, unite with the US, while throwing in a bit of shared heritage & the room in Munich gives him a standing ovation. We're not like you America & we don't want to be.

The remarkable thing is that a Labour government does not seem to care. Day after day it makes the choice for UK to stay poor. This comes out as anemic UK growth figures, surveys like this, and the popularity of Labour in the polls.