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New on the Open Europe Blog Nick Clegg’s opposition to renegotiation could risk the UK’s EU membership Open Europe Blog Why David Cameron can threaten to veto the EU budget Open Europe Blog Cameron's EU budget veto is a powerful tool for change Open Europe Blog
Daily Press Summary Merkel: "I don't want to throw more [budget] vetoes into the room"; Christopher Howarth: Renegotiation best option for those who wish to put the UK’s membership on a stable democratic footingReuters reports that referring to the French, Danish and UK veto threats over the EU’s long term budget negotiations, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that "I don't want to throw more vetoes into the room, it doesn't help bring about a solution." Open Europe’s research showing that the UK’s net contribution to the EU budget could still increase under a real terms freeze – due to the UK rebate not applying to spending in the new member states – is cited by Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, while Open Europe’s Pawel Swidlicki is quoted in Gazeta Wyborcza as saying that Wednesday’s defeat in the Commons could actually strengthen Cameron’s position in negotiations with other EU members. Commenting on the vote, a leader in the Times argues that: “By acting tactically on the EU budget without explaining where they are heading strategically on Britain’s overall relationship with the EU at this time of profound change… Rather than highlighting the Tory party’s problem with Europe, Labour has instead exposed its own.” In a widely reported speech at Chatham House yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg argued against pushing for a real terms cut to the EU budget and renegotiating the UK’s membership terms, claiming that “As soon as we start talking about repatriation, we descend into the in-versus-out debate… A grand, unilateral repatriation of powers might sound appealing. But in reality it is a false promise”.  On the Spectator’s Coffee House blog, Open Europe’s Christopher Howarth argues that Nick Clegg “should back renegotiation as the best option for those who wish to put the UK’s membership on a stable democratic footing”. FT FT 2 FT 3 FT 4 Reuters European Voice Euractiv EUobserver Le Monde CityAM FT: Birrell WSJ: Review & Outlook Times: Leader Irish Times: Editorial Rzeczpospolita Times Telegraph Telegraph: Editorial SunGuardian FAZ FAZ 2 Welt Welt 2 Welt 3 FTD FTD 2 FTD 3 Süddeutsche Comment is Free: GoodmanExpress Mirror Independent Mail Independent: Hamilton Independent: Editorial Guardian: ToynbeeSpectator Coffee House: Howarth Telegraph: Warner  Conservative Home: Montgomerie Spectator Coffee House: Forsyth Otmar Issing: Separation between monetary policy and supervision at the ECB “illusionary”During his key note speech at Wednesday’s launch of Open Europe Berlin gGmbH – Open Europe’s new partner organisation in Germany – former ECB Chief Economist Otmar Issing warned against granting the ECB supervisory powers as part of the planed banking union, reports Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, saying that the proposed ‘Chinese wall’ between supervision and monetary policy is “absolutely illusionary”. The launch event was also covered by Handelsblatt. No link Demands for further austerity put strain on the Greek coalitionKathimerini reports that strains on the Greek governing coalition are increasing after the government almost failed to pass its new privatisation bill, with only 148 out of 180 government MPs supporting the bill, which only passed due to abstentions. PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos in particular is struggling to hold his party together after a senior party official and an MP resigned in opposition to the latest budget and reform package, while a further five MPs have threatened to vote down the measures in next week’s votes in the Greek parliament. The latest Greek budget plan for 2013-2016 sees a total of €18.8bn in cuts over the period, with €14.2bn coming in the first two years – higher than previously expected. Meanwhile, in a non-binding ruling, the Greek Court of Auditors has ruled that the significant levels of pension and welfare cuts are unconstitutional. Writing in Handelsblatt, Kurt Lauk, the President of Angela Merkel’s CDU party’s Economic Council, argues that “a new debt write down for Greece is almost inevitable”. WSJ WSJ 2 Kathimerini Kathimerini 2 FT Kathimerini 3 Kathimerini 4 Kathimerini 5 European Voice El PaísExpansión Le Monde Handelsblatt Welt Open Europe Director Mats Persson is quoted by German financial weekly Manager Magazin as saying that the EU’s Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive is a good initiative in principle as it would make the hedge fund sector more transparent, but that it is flawed because it tries to treat entirely different investment instruments in the same manner.Manager Magazin Cypriot Finance Minister Vassos Shiarly has said he hopes to have a deal for the country’s bailout finalised by the time eurozone finance ministers meet on 12 November.Kathimerini Italy’s centre UDC party, Lega Nord and former Prime Minister Berlusconi’s PdL party have all voiced support for the idea of bringing forward the next Italian general election two months to February 2013 to coincide with scheduled regional elections. Separately, Berlusconi said in an interview that his party would not campaign against Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti in the run-up to the general elections.FT Corriere della Sera La Stampa Repubblica Il Sole 24 Ore Il Sole 24 Ore 2 Les Echos: Monti Incoming Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem said yesterday that he intends to push ahead with budget cuts at home and take a tough line on the eurozone crisis, Reuters reports.Reuters European nations must stop relying so heavily on the United States for global security and must take on more responsibility in their “own back yard”, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has said.Independent In a letter to the Times, eleven legal academics and judges warn that in ignoring the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights against a blanket ban on prisoner voting, David Cameron “appears set upon a course which is clearly unlawful”.Times Times: Letters