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New on the Open Europe Blog The new Eurobarometer is out. Here's what you won't find in the European Commission's press release Open Europe Blog UK report on EU foreign policy: Is it working? Is it accountable? Open Europe Blog The Balance of Competences may not set pulses racing but EU's impact on NHS is a crucial issue Open Europe Blog
Daily Press Summary New survey of public opinion shows increasing breakdown in trust in the EU The European Commission’s latest Eurobarometer survey released yesterday sees 60% of respondents saying they “tend not to trust” the EU, an increase of 3% compared with the previous survey. This figure included 83% of Cypriots, 80% of Greeks, 75% of Spaniards and 71% of Portuguese. Open Europe’s Vincenzo Scarpetta is quoted by EUobserver as saying that “This latest survey exposes the extent of the breakdown in trust between citizens and the EU – particularly in crisis-hit southern eurozone countries, which seem to be losing faith in the EU as a positive counter-balance to unpredictable national politics.” Open Europe’s Pawel Swidlicki was quoted by CNBC. Open Europe blog EUobserver CNBC FDP’s Brüderle: French approach to eurocrisis “fundamentally wrong” In an interview with German daily Handelsblatt, Rainer Brüderle, Parliamentary faction chairman of Angela Merkel’s junior coalition partner, the FDP, says that a two-speed Europe already exists and will only become more entrenched. “What’s important”, though, “is that all [member states] feel involved, regardless.” He adds that French president Francois Hollande’s government’s approach to the eurocrisis is “fundamentally wrong,” and that it would be a “tragedy” if France could not overcome its problems. FDP press release The Telegraph reports that a submission to the Government’s EU Balance of Competence review from Conservative MPs Andrea Leadsom and Charlotte Leslie notes that junior doctors have to get trained in their free time because of the EU’s Working Time Directive, which restricts the number of hours they can work every week. Open Europe blog Telegraph Telegraph 2 Telegraph 3 FT FT: Westminster Blog FT 2 Mail Evening Standard: Boleat Greece struggles to meet requirements on civil service and tax reform The pay-out of the next €4bn tranche of Greek bailout funds has been delayed once again until next week after the Greek government fell short of implementing five of the 22 ‘prior actions’ needed to release the funding – mostly relating to reforming the tax system. Kathimerini reports that Greece is also 5,500 people short of meeting the September target for transferring civil servants to the labour reserve (where they are paid a reduced salary before being fired if they cannot find a new role). Kathimerini Kathimerini 2 Kathimerini 3 Welt In a blog post entitled, “The devil wears Merkel”, Five-Star Movement leader Beppe Grillo argues that “Italian politics sold its soul to the German devil” and warns that Italy will at some point face the choice between “restructuring its debt while staying in the euro or returning to the lira.” Beppe Grillo’s blog The expected cabinet reshuffle was announced in Portugal yesterday. Paulo Portas, the leader of junior coalition party CDS-PP, has been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and will be in charge of dealing with the EU/IMF/ECB Troika in the future. António Pires de Lima, also of CDS-PP, is the new Economy Minister. Open Europe blog Open Europe Flash Analysis Diário Económico Diário Económico 2 Público Público 2 The on-going anti-government protests in Bulgaria escalated into an overnight blockade of the parliamentary building in Sofia, with police having to free over 100 MPs, journalists and staff who had been trapped inside for over eight hours. BBC Gazeta Wyborcza The FT reports that US regulators are pushing to gain access to the financial accounts, records and even emails of some of Europe’s largest financial groups which register and practice in the US, once again flaring up concerns over the sharing of sensitive data. Currently the US must rely on domestic regulators for data collection and sharing. FT Cypriot Finance Minister Harris Georgiades said yesterday that the split of the Bank of Cyprus could still take place but only after it has exited administration as a single body and once the options have been thoroughly reviewed. This is despite many Cypriot MPs rejecting the idea. Cyprus Mail Cyprus Mail 2 A new Forsa poll puts Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU at 41%, the SPD at 22%, the Greens at 12%, Die Linke at 9%, and the FDP at 5% and Pirate Party on 4%. If repeated in September’s election this would allow for the CDU/CSU and FDP to continue their coalition. Welt Israel has warned that EU moves to label goods produced in West Bank settlements could destroy the newly restarted peace process with the Palestinians. Yuval Steinitz, the Israeli Minister for Intelligence and Strategic Affairs, will demand today that Foreign Secretary William Hague disown the plans, reports the Times. Times The UK was Europe’s top destination for foreign investment last year attracting 11% more projects than the year before, according to figures published by UK Trade & Investment. Telegraph Jiri Rusnok’s new Czech government may favour membership of the SSM (Banking Union) and the Euro, both fundamentally opposed by the previous cabinet, EUobserver reports. EUobserver Radio Prague

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