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The Bruges Group spearheads the intellectual battle against the notion of "ever–closer Union" in Europe and, above all, against British involvement in a single European state. National Interests and the European Union Enlightened despotism is despotism nonetheless The Eastern Partnership’s Troubles The End of Imitative Europeanization? Sovereignty and Liberty: An American Perspective To protect liberty we must preserve national sovereignty Share Enlightened despotism is despotism nonetheless National Interests and the European Union National interests are essentially the objectives set by government primarily for its survival and protection and secondarily for the assurance of the wealth, prosperity and well-being of the state. However, European Union member states are wrestling ideologically and pragmatically with a politics of pan-European mono-ism in which they have already more or less given up the idea of self-determination by practically and pragmatically outsourcing their sovereignty and power to the European Union, and in addition doing so through avoiding the democratic process. Without democratic checks and balances and a tendency towards transparency and bottom-up governance, the common European interest remains that of the political bureaucracy in Brussels. It is therefore no surprise that the common European interest is always couched in terms of what is best for Europe as a whole, but when the peoples of Europe are not involved in what this means, it leaves supranational government to decide what is best for its people, and this is the historically sure path to decreased freedom and liberty, and increased governmental scope and expansion. In the EU, just like any other form of despotism or dictatorship, democracy is given up in preference for stability. Click here to read the research in full Share The End of Imitative Europeanization? The Eastern Partnership’s Troubles This paper by the foreign policy expert Andrey Karbovskiy, Ph.D., examines the issue of the EU’s enlargement towards Eastern Europe and the political factors which have influenced the EU’s policy towards the independent nations that were once part of the Soviet Union. The EU’s European Neighbourhood Policy will be examined and in particular the European Union’s Eastern Partnership. The evolving political situation in both Russia and the EU generates a need to make a critical overview of the EU’s policy toward Eastern Europe and answer a number of important questions. To what extent have the EU’s policies towards the states of Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus been successful? What are the implications of a reset in Russia’s relations with the West for the relations between the stakeholders in the region? And what is the future agenda for the EU’s Eastern policy? Click here to read the research in full Share To protect liberty we must preserve national sovereignty Sovereignty and Liberty: An American Perspective Since the beginning of history, national governments have provided the best means of securing individual liberty. This could be said to be the primary purpose of government. Theories voiced by John Locke and Thomas Hobbes are often cited as foundational to modern views of government, and it is widely understood that some form of government is necessary to protect citizens against both outside invasion and the anarchic passions of the human condition. This freedom is now under threat by the Supra-National institutions of the European Union. The long train of abuses and usurpations visible in the European project serve to confirm a stark political reality: the EU doesn’t merely have a democratic deficit as some have suggested. It is by all measures, entirely anti-democratic. John Locke and Thomas Hobbes speak from the grave: sovereignty is an essential element of liberty. One cannot exist without the other. Therefore, those seeking to protect liberty must work to preserve national sovereignty. Click here to read the research in full -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Honorary President: The Rt Hon. the Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, LG, OM, FRS Vice-President: The Rt Hon. the Lord Lamont of Lerwick, Chairman: Barry Legg Director: Robert Oulds MA, Head of Research: Dr Helen Szamuely Washington D.C. Representative: John O'Sullivan, CBE, Head of Press: Jack Soames Founder Chairman: Lord Harris of High Cross, Former Chairmen: Dr Brian Hindley, Dr Martin Holmes & Professor Kenneth Minogue -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For further information contact: Robert Oulds Director The Bruges Group 214 Linen Hall, 162-168 Regent Street, London W1B 5TB UK Tel: +44(0) 20 7287 4414 Mobile: 07740 029787 E-mail: info@brugesgroup.com