One sentence summary – France and Germany have proposed a restructuring plan for the European Union (EU), which includes different levels of membership, and some Remainers in the UK see this as a potential pathway for the UK to rejoin as a full member.
At a glance
- France and Germany propose a restructuring plan for the EU
- Remainers in the UK see the proposal as a potential pathway for the UK to rejoin
- The proposal suggests four levels of membership within the EU
- An associate membership ring is proposed for states outside the EU
- The Liberal Democrats express their desire to rejoin the EU and return to the Single Market
The details
France and Germany have proposed a restructuring plan for the European Union (EU).
The proposal suggests four levels of membership within the EU.
This plan has caught the attention of some Remainers in the United Kingdom (UK).
These Remainers view the proposal as a potential pathway for the UK to gain associate membership and possibly rejoin as a full member.
Currently, the EU already has varying levels of membership.
Not all members participate in the euro or Schengen free movement arrangements.
There is increasing dissatisfaction with the EU across the bloc.
This dissatisfaction is particularly focused on issues such as immigration and support for right-wing nationalist parties.
This dissatisfaction has influenced the Franco-German proposal.
The proposal involves countries choosing the level of membership that suits them.
The proposal suggests an inner core pushing for full union.
A second ring would maintain the status quo.
An associate membership ring is also proposed.
An outer ring is proposed for states belonging to the “European Political Community” without binding EU rules or Single Market membership.
If the UK were to seek associate membership, it would come with certain advantages.
These advantages include trade benefits.
However, there would also be disadvantages.
These disadvantages include contributing to the EU budget, following EU rules and regulations, and committing to free movement of people.
The benefits of the Single Market have been questioned.
The argument is that many countries successfully sell into it without being EU members.
The UK has not made significant use of its regulatory freedoms since leaving the EU.
However, it may consider doing so in the future.
The EU may struggle to accept the creative destruction caused by artificial intelligence.
The EU may over-regulate its use.
The UK has secured more Free Trade Agreements than initially expected.
However, a transformative deal with the US remains elusive.
Brexit has allowed the UK to align with faster-growing parts of the world economy.
Europe is shrinking in relative importance.
The Liberal Democrats, a UK political party, have expressed their desire to rejoin the EU.
They also want to return to the Single Market.
This stance was highlighted by their foreign affairs spokesman and the party leader, Sir Ed Davey.
At their annual conference, Layla Moran, a prominent member, emphasized the party’s commitment to rejoin the EU.
However, Lord Newby, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, has warned against making Europe the party’s top priority.
Currently, the Liberal Democrats’ priority lies in fixing the UK’s relationship with trading partners.
They also aim to obtain better deals for farmers, fishermen, and small businesses.
The party’s activists have supported a review of military recruitment to improve ethnic diversity.
They have highlighted the lack of representation in the Army.
The party’s environment spokesman, Tim Farron, has criticized the free market.
He sees it as an obstacle to solving the housing crisis.
He advocates for more interventionist politics and greater power for planning authorities.
The conference also addressed environmental concerns.
Activists voted on a motion proposing a 1p tax on the sale of new clothes.
This is to reduce emissions and address the “fast fashion” industry.
This proposed tax was defended as a small price to pay for reducing emissions and improving recycling by Wendy Chamberlain, the Liberal Democrat chief whip.
Prominent figures, such as Carol Vorderman and Steve Coogan, participated in the conference rally via videolink.
They showed their support for Liberal Democrat calls for electoral reform.
Article X-ray
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A group of interconnected puzzle pieces, with the French and German flags on two pieces and the UK flag on another, symbolizing the proposed EU restructuring plan catching the attention of UK Remainers.
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| telegraph.co.uk |
|---|
| – France and Germany have proposed a plan to restructure the EU with four levels of membership – Some Remainers see this as a potential route for the UK to have associate membership and potentially rejoin as a full member – The EU already has some levels of membership, with not all members belonging to the euro or Schengen free movement arrangements – There is growing dissatisfaction with the EU across the bloc, particularly regarding immigration and support for right-wing nationalist parties – The Franco-German proposal involves countries choosing the level of membership that suits them, with an inner core pushing for full union, a second ring maintaining the status quo, an associate membership ring, and an outer ring for states belonging to the “European Political Community” without binding EU rules or Single Market membership – If the UK were to seek associate membership, it would have trade advantages but also disadvantages such as contributing to the EU budget, following EU rules and regulations, and committing to free movement of people – The Single Market’s benefits have been overestimated, and many countries successfully sell into it without being members – The UK has not made much use of its regulatory freedoms since leaving the EU, but may do so in the future – |
| The author believes the EU may struggle to accept the creative destruction caused by artificial intelligence and may over-regulate its use – The UK has secured more Free Trade Agreements than expected, but a transformative deal with the US remains elusive – Europe is shrinking in relative importance in the world economy, and Brexit allows the UK to align with faster-growing parts of the world – Close cooperation and friendship with the EU is seen as a good idea, as long as there are no significant budget contributions or submission to EU laws – The author warns against a Labour government joining the associate membership ring and potentially seeking full EU membership, which could involve joining the euro |
| telegraph.co.uk |
|---|
| – The Liberal Democrats want to rejoin the European Union, according to their foreign affairs spokesman. |
| – Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the party, has said that Brexit is currently “off the table” and that the party is focused on other issues. – Layla Moran, speaking at the party’s annual conference, expressed the party’s desire to rejoin the EU and return to the Single Market. – Lord Newby, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, warned against putting Europe as the party’s top priority. – |
| The party’s current priority is to fix the relationship with trading partners and get a better deal for farmers, fishermen, and small businesses. – Guy Verhofstadt, former European Parliament Brexit coordinator, led a protest march in London calling for the UK to return to the EU. – Gina Miller, a prominent anti-Brexit campaigner, also participated in the march. – Liberal Democrat activists supported a review of military recruitment to improve ethnic diversity. – |
| The party’s defence spokesman highlighted the lack of ethnic minority representation in the Army. |
| – Tim Farron, the party’s environment spokesman, criticized the free market as an obstacle to solving the housing crisis. |
| – Farron called for more interventionist politics and greater power for planning authorities. – Activists will vote on a motion calling for a 1p tax on the sale of new clothes to reduce emissions and address the “fast fashion” industry. – Wendy Chamberlain, the Liberal Democrat chief whip, defended the proposed tax as a small price to pay for reducing emissions and improving recycling. – Carol Vorderman and Steve Coogan addressed the conference rally via videolink to support Liberal Democrat calls for electoral reform. |
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