Daily Press Summary
Cameron to impose three-line whip in support of draft referendum Bill; 116 Conservative MPs vote for amendment regretting absence of EU referendum in Queen’s Speech Backbench Conservative MP James Wharton won a ballot to secure a Private Member’s Bill and confirmed he will use it to put forward the party’s draft Bill legislating for an EU referendum to be held by 2017. Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that Conservative MPs will be under a three-line whip to support the motion. The move comes after an amendment expressing “regret” that provisions for an EU referendum were not included in the Queen’s Speech was defeated by 130 votes to 272, with 116 Conservative MPs voting in favour.Stepping in at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg suggested that a referendum was more a question of “when, not if” given continued eurozone integration. Open Europe’s Pawel Swidlicki appeared on CNBC this morning discussing the vote and UK-EU relations. Open Europe blog FT CNBC CityAM WSJ Express Telegraph BBC Independent Guardian Times Sun Mail BBCGuardian 2 Guido Fawkes German press agency DPA quotes Open Europe's Chairman Lord Leach commenting that “Most of the necessary reforms have been identified and discussed across the continent. Now we will have to see whether Germany and its Nordic allies will be willing or able to deliver them.” Open Europe blog Cable: Eurozone integration would lead to formal renegotiation of UK-EU relationship In an op-ed for the Guardian, Business Secretary Vince Cable criticises the uncertainty generated by speculation over a UK exit from the EU, arguing that “The question many of my business contacts ask… is "what does 'out' mean? The answer isn't self-evident.” However, he also adds that “Once the eurozone stabilises, it may well proceed to a deeper level of fiscal, financial and political integration than the UK is comfortable with… That would in turn precipitate a formal renegotiation of our relationship.” Open Europe research: Trading Places Guardian: Cable New Statesman: Davey Spectator: Leader
Open Europe’s Research Director Stephen Booth appeared on BBC Radio 4’s “You and Yours” programme making the case for EU reform and discussing how the EU affects people’s everyday lives.BBC Radio 4 Eurozone in longest recession since its inception as Commission warns France over economic reform Data released by Eurostat yesterday showed that the eurozone economy shrunk by 0.2% in the first quarter of this year, the sixth quarter in a row – the longest recession the eurozone has seen. The Greek economy contracted by 5.3%, the nineteenth straight quarter of contraction. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso yesterday warned France over its resistance to certain reforms, saying, “To be against globalisation is like spitting in the wind.” Open Europe’s Raoul Ruparel is quoted in the Telegraph discussing the Spanish economy, saying, "We don't think exports can offset the collapse in internal demand." Open Europe’s Vincenzo Scarpetta was interviewed by Spanish news agency EFE discussing the economic situation in the euro area and the need for southern eurozone countries to push ahead with structural reforms as the best means to return to growth. FT CityAM WSJ FAZ Le Figaro Les Echos Le Monde Telegraph Irish Times BBC FT 2 Times: Leader TimesFAZ FT 3 Expansión Cinco Días Kathimerini Telegraph: Evans-Pritchard EFE: Scarpetta Le Figaro Les Echos Le Monde Following EU ministers’ agreement on a set of measures to reform the Common Fisheries Policy, Open Europe’s Vincenzo Scarpetta is quoted by PA as saying, “The deal shows that it is fully possible for the UK to achieve substantial reform of EU policies if it sets out clear strategies and targets.” No link Money laundering audits find Cypriot banks failed to implement regulation properly The Cyprus Mail reports that, according to a leaked summary of the money laundering audits in Cyprus, Cypriot banks suffer from “systemic deficiencies” in implementing anti-money laundering measures. For example, Cypriot banks reported only a few suspicious transactions between 2008 and 2012, while auditor Deloitte found at least 29 in 2012 alone. The summary concludes that while both auditors found no “regulatory weakness” there were “substantial shortcomings in implementation by banks”. Cyprus Mail Cyprus Mail 2 Famagusta Gazette FAZ Germany’s anti-euro party sharpens attack on Merkel Bernd Lucke, head of Germany’s anti-euro party ‘Alternative für Deutschland’ (AfD) sharpened his criticism of Angela Merkel’s eurocrisis politics in an interview with Handelsblatt. “Euro-politics must fundamentally change,” said Lucke. “Debt can no longer be pooled. Politics can no longer take precedence over economic reality.” Separately, Volker Bouffier, deputy chairman of the CDU, dismissed AfD’s campaign to leave the euro as “childish”. “We should not make the AfD interesting by blowing them up as our main competitors,” he told Die Welt.Handeslblatt Die Welt Outgoing Governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King has commented on the EU’s Financial Transaction Tax saying, “Within Europe, I can’t find anyone in the central banking community who thinks it’s a good idea.” CityAM WSJ El País quotes a high-ranking German government source complaining that Spain only asked for €40bn out of a total €100bn eurozone bailout package to help recapitalise its banks. Open Europe research El País FT Expansión Cinco Días A new Ipsos Mori poll for the Mail has Labour in the lead on 34% followed by the Conservatives on 31%, UKIP on 13% and the Liberal Democrats on 10%. Labour’s poll lead of 3% is its lowest since the 2010 general election. MailThe Telegraph reports on a study by Spanish MEP Raul Romeva which finds that EU Common Agriculture Policy payments worth more than £110m a year are given to Spanish farmers to rear fighting bulls. Telegraph Tensions are growing in Italy’s coalition government as Silvio Berlusconi’s party is trying to push ahead with reform of the country’s judiciary system – which centre-left Democratic Party says “is not the priority” at this stage. The government is due to unveil its first economic measures on Friday. Repubblica La Stampa
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