In this week’s news, the fallout from the G7 summit which took place over the weekend, the saga of the migrant ship Aquarius currently making its way across the Mediterranean and this week’s votes in the British House of Commons regarding the Theresa May’s government’s flagship Brexit bill.
This Friday (1st June), there are two main events emanating from the South that of course demand attention: the moción de censura which passed successfully in the Spanish Congreso in Madrid, and the confirmation in Rome of Italian Prime Minister-Designate, Giuseppe Conte, and the rag-tag band of populists from the Lega (formerly Nord) of Matteo Salvini and Movimento 5 Stella of Luigi Di Maio, who hope they can run a government together.
The European Union is among the most profound achievements of the last century; in many ways, it has changed the face of Europe and its place in the world, from one of violence, strife and oppression, to a beacon of ‘peace…democracy and…prosperity’. By the fin-de-siècle, commentators were hailing the ‘New European Century’ and a ‘beacon of light in a troubled world’. The latter commentator also argued that Europe’s aim was to seek ‘harmony, not hegemony’. This raises a key question, namely, the nature of Europe’s relationship with Imperial power.
Britain has had a week of having to live with its decision to leave the European Union, and many debates have been flung open, with few settled. I cover the most important developments, with my own analysis of Britain’s plight following.
In Search of Europa 