The UK’s referendum and Spain: a Brexit is unlikely to be welcomed by Spanish citizens

The UK’s referendum will not only have an impact on Britain, but also on the rest of the European Union. As part of our series covering views on the referendum across Europe, Salvador Llaudes assesses the perspective of the Spanish government and Spanish citizens on a potential Brexit

Duel between the EU and Argentina: Weapons in the EU Arsenal. CEPS Commentary, 13 September 2012

Relations between the European Union and Argentina are under severe strain. For years, the Argentinean government has been involved in a diplomatic dispute with the United Kingdom over the status of the Falkland Islands (Las Islas Malvinas to the Argentines). It recently decided to take advantage of Spain’s current economic weakness to attack a major Spanish investment in the country. On April 16th, the Argentinean government expropriated 51% of Repsol’s shares in YPF, a former state-owned oil company, which had been privatised in the early 1990s. This action provoked a public outcry in Madrid and beyond, especially in the European Commission. In this Commentary, we explore its longer-term impact on relations between the EU and Argentina

Una visión desde las fuentes francesas del papel de Francia en las negociaciones para el ingreso de España en las Comunidades Europeas: 1975-1986

France-Spain relations have always existed since both countries were created, while it is true that there have existed some periods in which they have been more intense and/or controversial. In the following paper we are trying to analyse the period of time between 1975 and 1986, when the Spanish Transition simultaneously took place, and resulted in the end of a dictatorship that lasted no less than forty years, substituted by a democracy with normalized links with all the countries that form the International Community. The French sources used will provide us with information that is not extremely well known in the Spanish historiography, revealing the inexistence of a national position as such against the enlargement of the European Communities to the South.In fact, some of the French sectors will never be against the enlargement, and some others will change their attitude against it in the never-ending negotiations undertaken between the Iberian country and their European neighbours.Las relaciones entre Francia y España han sido constantes desde la creación de ambos Estados, si bien es cierto que han existido periodos en que han tenido un carácter más intenso y/o conflictivo. En el presente trabajo se analiza el lapso de tiempo entre 1975 y 1986, coincidente con el periodo de la Transición española de una dictadura que se extendió durante nada menos que cuarenta años hacia una democracia con vínculos normalizados con todos los países de la comunidad internacional. Las fuentes francesas utilizadas proporcionarán una información que no es excesivamente bien conocida en el ámbito historiográfico español, poniéndose de manifiesto la inexistencia de un posicionamiento en bloque contrario a la ampliación hacia el sur de las Comunidades Europeas; de hecho, algunos de los sectores franceses no serán nunca contrarios a la ampliación, y otros cambiarán su postura a lo largo de las largas negociaciones que se llevan a cabo entre el país ibérico y sus vecinos europeos

EULEX: Una misión a reformar y sin final a la vista

The European Union started in 2008 the EULEX mission. The objectives were to help improve the conditions of the kosovar institutions and the strengthening of the Rule of Law in Kosovo, together with the fight against corruption. Some advancement has been produced in the region since, but also some notable failures, which oblige the Mission to reform itself. In any case, there is no clear horizon for the ending of the EULEX presence in the kosovar territory.La Unión Europea puso en marcha en 2008 la Misión EULEX, con el objetivo de ayudar a la mejora de las instituciones kosovares y al fortalecimiento del Estado de Derecho en Kosovo, junto a la lucha contra la corrupción. Desde entonces, se han producido avances en la región, pero también algunos fracasos notables que obligan a plantear la reforma de la Misión. En cualquier caso, no se vislumbra un horizonte claro para la finalización de la presencia de EULEX en el territorio kosovar

Between Apathy and Anger: Challenges to the Union from the 2014 Elections to the European Parliament. EPIN [Working] Paper No. 39, 20 May 2014

This EPIN study brings together contributions from a ​broad selection of member states ​and ​provid​es ​insightful analysis ​into the 2014 elections to the European Parliament on the ground. The report reveals the different factors that impede the development of genuine European elections and the consequences of the ballot in the member states covered by the study​, namely Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain and the UK​,​ and at EU level. The report finds that: • The EP Resolution to encourage European parties to nominate candidates for the next Commission President has not really increased public interest in the EU and voter turnout will probably remain low. • Visibility of the European top candidates in most member states has been quite limited. • National manifestos do not coincide – and sometimes event conflict with – the European parties’ manifestos. • Election debates focus on national issues; EU issues are only brought to public debate when they are relevant for domestic politics. • Again, we will see a protest vote against governments and large parties. The EP elections are still perceived as a test ahead of local and national elections, or as a vote of confidence in national governments. • This year the protest vote also concerns the EU. The report predicts a more eurosceptic ballot that might complicate decision-making in the EU, exacerbate the conflict between the national and European levels and increase tensions among member states