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2 October, 2023
Edicion Special
  • Home
  • OP/ED

    The story of the Ulmas’ martyrdom should be known worldwide

    Triangulation of Eurasia: The North-South Corridor Underreported but pivotal for Our Common Future

    Loose lips sink morale

    Albania and Kosovo: the Leaders, the People, the Narrative

    Offensive defence: How Putin saved NATO

    A decade of Croatian EU membership: Success story of enlargement in the Western Balkans

    Elvin Luku: Fragile democracy in Albania

    French Jean-Dominique Giuliani, President of the Robert Schuman Fondation (a think tank on Europe) speaks during a meeting entitled "Eurozone, what a future" organized by his foundation and dedicated to euro, in Paris on July 18, 2014. 
AFP PHOTO/MIGUEL MEDINA        (Photo credit should read MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images)

    Europe is awake, united and more valuable than ever before

    China offers alternatives for modernization

  • Interview

    Exclusive/ The Russian Ambassador to Albania Mr. Mikhail Afanasiev: Russia only aims to end that war started by the West in Ukraine

    Exclusive/ Skopje’s top diplomat to Tirana, Dancho Markovski: OSCE Chairmanship a Project of National Importance for North Macedonia

    Exclusive interview of Croatian Ambassador Zlatko Kramaric: ‘There is progress in Croatian-Albanian relations, but it is still not enough’  

    The first anniversary of the appointment as Archbishop at the head of the Catholic Church/ Mons. Arjan Dodaj: Only God can be the author of our walk!

    Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Anar Huseynov: President Aliyev’s visit to Albania opened a new page in our relations through the specific accords reached

    Macedonian Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski: Open Balkans and Berlin Process are complementary processes for progress of cooperation among WB countries

    Exclusive/ China’s Ambassador to Albania Mr. Zhou Ding: China and Albania must look towards history to build the future!

    Appeal of Ukrainian Ambassador to Albania Shkurov for maximum support of Ukraine with weapons six months after Russian occupation

    Zoran Djukanovic: “The Montenegrin minority in Albania and the Albanian minority in Montenegro to be bridges of communication of our two countries”

  • Realpolitik
    European Council President Charles MICHEL, receives Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market.  Brussels the 12/01/2021.
Le President du Conseil Europeen, Charles MICHEL, recoit Thierry Breton, Commissaire Europeen chargé du marché interieur. .  Bruxelles le 12/01/2021.,Image: 590631817, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

    For a new paradigm by the EU and the USA for Kosovo and Serbia after the terrorist attack by serb bands on 24 september.

    Pacifying without reconciliation! Kurti’s autogoal! Between G – 7 and BRICS 11! The Balkans summer theatre continues! A speech for campaign 2024! A prewarned failure!                             

    Marriage spoiled for a lemon! The missed dinner! Sphinx and challenge for the West! Summer theatre in Bled!

    Peace as wishful thinking! Change the course! Brussels bells toll for Tirana!  Beleri between Tirana, Brussels and Athens! Compare the incomparables!  

    A cold shower! Change the tune! Partnership or vassalage? Euro-Atlantist Meloni!

    Open Balkans closed! A failed tour! Right is might! The NATO Ukrainian dilema!

    Balkan’s summer theatre started! China’s and India’s Megachallenge! SOS from Brussels! Support, Sanctions and statements!  

    No “ carrot” for Belgrade and “ stick” for Pristine! An unnecessary draft! Nor did Gjakova unite us!

    G-7 with 5 major messages! Erdoganist Turkey! A historic victory postponned! Much ado about nothing!  

  • Current Events

    Serbia attempted to annex the north of Kosovo, the attackers were trained in Serbian bases, the Kosovo interior minister reveals

    turqi

    Albania condemns terrorist attack in Ankara as PM Rama says Europe should support Turkey more in its fight against terrorism

    Kosovo needs to protect its northern border, increasing cooperation with NATO’s presence and KFOR in the North, says PM Kurti

    ODIHR releases final report on observation mission of Albania’s 2023 local elections

    President Begaj conveys condolences for the passing away of Father Arthur Liolin in Boston

    Albania’s PM argues with Kosovo authorities, reiterating support for his proposal on the control of the north by KFOR

    The trial session for Gërdec is postponed as the former Defense Minister insists on 91 witnesses

    NATO authorizes additional forces for Kosovo

    Assembly of Kosovo approves unanimously Resolution, condemning the Serb terrorist attack on the police

  • Top News

    What Serbia is not achieving through dialogue, it wants to achieve through terrorist attacks, says FP’s Vasili

    Powerful explosion in Ankara near Parliament and other government institutions; outlawed PKK claims responsibility of the attack

    US Embassy in Tirana calls on Albanian prosecutors to apply for 3 vacancies in SPAK

    Attack of the Serbian armed group in North Kosovo was a ‘true military attack’, said Albania’s former Interior Minister

    Germany says it is irritating when Vucic declares the culprits as the victims…

    SPAK is making progress in Albania’s objectives for justice reform, says the US Embassy

    PM Rama urges the EU to condemn Serbia’s declaration of mourning

    Declaration of mourning by Serbia fuels armed conflict threat; EU and US should raise democratic alarm, Albania’s government head said

    Special Court announces sentences for former minister Lefter Koka and his accomplices over Fier incinerator

  • YOUR VOICE
  • ShqipShqip
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Argumentum
  • Home
  • OP/ED

    The story of the Ulmas’ martyrdom should be known worldwide

    Triangulation of Eurasia: The North-South Corridor Underreported but pivotal for Our Common Future

    Loose lips sink morale

    Albania and Kosovo: the Leaders, the People, the Narrative

    Offensive defence: How Putin saved NATO

    A decade of Croatian EU membership: Success story of enlargement in the Western Balkans

    Elvin Luku: Fragile democracy in Albania

    French Jean-Dominique Giuliani, President of the Robert Schuman Fondation (a think tank on Europe) speaks during a meeting entitled "Eurozone, what a future" organized by his foundation and dedicated to euro, in Paris on July 18, 2014. 
AFP PHOTO/MIGUEL MEDINA        (Photo credit should read MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images)

    Europe is awake, united and more valuable than ever before

    China offers alternatives for modernization

  • Interview

    Exclusive/ The Russian Ambassador to Albania Mr. Mikhail Afanasiev: Russia only aims to end that war started by the West in Ukraine

    Exclusive/ Skopje’s top diplomat to Tirana, Dancho Markovski: OSCE Chairmanship a Project of National Importance for North Macedonia

    Exclusive interview of Croatian Ambassador Zlatko Kramaric: ‘There is progress in Croatian-Albanian relations, but it is still not enough’  

    The first anniversary of the appointment as Archbishop at the head of the Catholic Church/ Mons. Arjan Dodaj: Only God can be the author of our walk!

    Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Anar Huseynov: President Aliyev’s visit to Albania opened a new page in our relations through the specific accords reached

    Macedonian Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski: Open Balkans and Berlin Process are complementary processes for progress of cooperation among WB countries

    Exclusive/ China’s Ambassador to Albania Mr. Zhou Ding: China and Albania must look towards history to build the future!

    Appeal of Ukrainian Ambassador to Albania Shkurov for maximum support of Ukraine with weapons six months after Russian occupation

    Zoran Djukanovic: “The Montenegrin minority in Albania and the Albanian minority in Montenegro to be bridges of communication of our two countries”

  • Realpolitik
    European Council President Charles MICHEL, receives Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market.  Brussels the 12/01/2021.
Le President du Conseil Europeen, Charles MICHEL, recoit Thierry Breton, Commissaire Europeen chargé du marché interieur. .  Bruxelles le 12/01/2021.,Image: 590631817, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

    For a new paradigm by the EU and the USA for Kosovo and Serbia after the terrorist attack by serb bands on 24 september.

    Pacifying without reconciliation! Kurti’s autogoal! Between G – 7 and BRICS 11! The Balkans summer theatre continues! A speech for campaign 2024! A prewarned failure!                             

    Marriage spoiled for a lemon! The missed dinner! Sphinx and challenge for the West! Summer theatre in Bled!

    Peace as wishful thinking! Change the course! Brussels bells toll for Tirana!  Beleri between Tirana, Brussels and Athens! Compare the incomparables!  

    A cold shower! Change the tune! Partnership or vassalage? Euro-Atlantist Meloni!

    Open Balkans closed! A failed tour! Right is might! The NATO Ukrainian dilema!

    Balkan’s summer theatre started! China’s and India’s Megachallenge! SOS from Brussels! Support, Sanctions and statements!  

    No “ carrot” for Belgrade and “ stick” for Pristine! An unnecessary draft! Nor did Gjakova unite us!

    G-7 with 5 major messages! Erdoganist Turkey! A historic victory postponned! Much ado about nothing!  

  • Current Events

    Serbia attempted to annex the north of Kosovo, the attackers were trained in Serbian bases, the Kosovo interior minister reveals

    turqi

    Albania condemns terrorist attack in Ankara as PM Rama says Europe should support Turkey more in its fight against terrorism

    Kosovo needs to protect its northern border, increasing cooperation with NATO’s presence and KFOR in the North, says PM Kurti

    ODIHR releases final report on observation mission of Albania’s 2023 local elections

    President Begaj conveys condolences for the passing away of Father Arthur Liolin in Boston

    Albania’s PM argues with Kosovo authorities, reiterating support for his proposal on the control of the north by KFOR

    The trial session for Gërdec is postponed as the former Defense Minister insists on 91 witnesses

    NATO authorizes additional forces for Kosovo

    Assembly of Kosovo approves unanimously Resolution, condemning the Serb terrorist attack on the police

  • Top News

    What Serbia is not achieving through dialogue, it wants to achieve through terrorist attacks, says FP’s Vasili

    Powerful explosion in Ankara near Parliament and other government institutions; outlawed PKK claims responsibility of the attack

    US Embassy in Tirana calls on Albanian prosecutors to apply for 3 vacancies in SPAK

    Attack of the Serbian armed group in North Kosovo was a ‘true military attack’, said Albania’s former Interior Minister

    Germany says it is irritating when Vucic declares the culprits as the victims…

    SPAK is making progress in Albania’s objectives for justice reform, says the US Embassy

    PM Rama urges the EU to condemn Serbia’s declaration of mourning

    Declaration of mourning by Serbia fuels armed conflict threat; EU and US should raise democratic alarm, Albania’s government head said

    Special Court announces sentences for former minister Lefter Koka and his accomplices over Fier incinerator

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Home ENGLISH

Let’s Be Honest: Barring a Revolution, Brexit is Unlikely to Happen

11 April, 2019
in ENGLISH, English OP/ED
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So now it’s the 31st of October. Does anyone, whether they’re a Brexiteer or Remainer, seriously believe that Britain will have exited the EU by the latest ‘deadline’ agreed by Europe?

Theresa May, lest we forget, assured us repeatedly that Britain would be leaving the EU on 29th March 2019. Then when that didn’t happen she said it would be by June 30th. Now she has agreed to an extension until Halloween. How appropriate, because the whole thing has turned into Nightmare on Downing Street.

It needn’t have been such a horror movie. The basic problem has been that while the public (17.4m of them) voted Leave, the political Establishment has been largely in favour of Remain.

That Establishment includes the Prime Minister who supported Britain staying in the EU in 2016, albeit from behind the sofa. As I tweeted earlier in the week, you could say that she has handled Brexit disastrously. But that’s only if you accept the premise she wanted the UK to leave. If her aim was to sabotage Brexit, while appearing to be in favour, you’d have to admit that she’s played an absolute blinder.

To get a good deal from the EU it was common sense that the government had to prepare properly for a No Deal. Instead Mrs May signed up to a ‘Withdrawal Agreement’ that involved the UK paying the EU £39bn. Not even John Cleese had to pay that much to his ex-wives.

Not surprisingly, Brexiteers found it hard to vote for the Agreement. Some even said it was worse than staying in the EU. They had a point.

May tried three times to get her not very good ‘deal’ through Parliament and three times she failed. She should, had she really been serious about delivering Brexit, have said that after this failure Britain would leave without a deal. That would, I believe have led to movement from Brussels.  

That’s because European business — and in particular German manufacturing, has been desperate to avoid a No Deal Brexit. You don’t have to be an Emeritus Professor of Economics at Oxford University to understand why. 

The UK had an overall trade deficit of £67bn with the EU in 2017. The deficit on trade in goods was a jaw-dropping £95bn. In other words EU countries exported £95bn more in goods to the UK than the UK exported to them. Britain’s biggest deficit is with Germany. In 2017, the German trade surplus with Britain stood at £21bn.

The prospect of unfettered EU/German access to the lucrative UK market changing in any way was causing great, and understandable, alarm in boardrooms across the continent. May could have used this concern to Britain’s advantage to extract more concessions. She chose not to, and threw her trump card away. Whatever you do, make sure Theresa’s never your partner in a game of Whist.

The fault though is not just hers. Cabinet colleagues who made it clear they opposed a ‘No Deal’ Brexit are also culpable. So too, as I noted here, are the ‘Bad Boys of Brexit’ who celebrated far too early.

The same people who told us, quite correctly, that the Establishment would do everything they could to keep us in the EU, rather naively seemed to believe that the referendum result would be the end of the matter. As if. They were celebrating when they should have been forming Brexit Watch Committees.

You could stay that Brexit was doomed the moment it was decided that MPs, far more pro-EU than the general population, would have the final say. As I argued in a previous column, rather than enhancing democracy in Britain, Parliament actually curbs it. It’s there to subvert or neuter public opinion; not to represent it.  

We see this on issue after issue, not just Brexit.

If we consider who was against Britain leaving the EU, it’s no great surprise we are where we are today, nearly three years after the referendum. While a small section of the business/financial elites wanted us to Leave, the people who ‘really matter’ supported the maintenance of the status quo. I listed them in November. ‘The giants of US finance capital. Billionaire capitalists like Sir Richard Branson, George Soros and Lord Jacob Rothschild. 1280 ‘business leaders’- including directors of 51 FTSE100 companies. 100 ‘University leaders’. The Bank of England. The biggest trades unions. The EU. NATO. Sir Humphrey Appleby and prominent members of the legal profession.’

Leave meanwhile had some right-wing ‘Empire Loyalist’ Tories, some Labour MPs, The Communist Party, a divided UKIP, and that guy who owns Weatherspoons. It was hardly an even fight, was it?

Then there’s the social demographic of Leave/Remain supporters. Social classes A and B, the ones most represented in the Establishment, and the ones with the most clout within the system, voted 59% to remain, while classes D and E backed Leave by 64%.  

If it had been the other way round, does anyone seriously doubt we’d have been out of the EU by now?

Indeed an analysis of class and economic power not only explains why Brexit hasn’t happened yet, but also why it is unlikely to happen, barring a political revolution.

That ‘revolution’ would mean moving away from the current model of Parliamentary ‘democracy’, through which powerful interest groups can quite easily subvert majority opinion, to something more direct and more democratic.

If one good thing comes from the failure to deliver Brexit, it’s that it will hopefully get people to question the way we do politics in Britain. How we hand over, very meekly, our democratic rights to those who then take great delight in ignoring us. 

In the words of the late, great Charles de Gaulle, the Brexit debacle has shown us that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians. Particularly those who keep breaking their promises like Theresa May./sputnik

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