Energy and Security News Editor

Author: Heather Grabbe, Director of the Open Society European Policy Institute

1. Faraway

Author : Heather Grabbe, Director of the Open Society European Policy Institute.

Text has been edited

The European Union’s dwindling democratic legitimacy is an acute political challenge. Trust in EU institutions is declining even in countries where the union once had high levels of support. Populist parties are rising and turning against the EU. To restore its legitimacy, the EU needs to respond to public apathy and anger with emotional intelligence and to offer solutions that feel relevant to people outside the Brussels bubble.

Author : C. Bradley Thomson (C. Bradley Thompson is a Research Professor at Clemson University and the Executive Director of the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism. He has also been a visiting fellow at Princeton and Harvard universities and at the University of London).

In general, the activities of a lobbyist are understood to influence different levels of government (local, national, regional or transnational) or different branches of government. When talking about lobbying, the common perspective is often rather negative and reluctant to the activity itself. The public tend to have the idea that lobbying is used primarily for the private sector’s interest. Also, bribery and corruption are sometimes an issue.

Extrait du Discours de SM le Roi Mohammed VI (20 Août 2016)

Text has been edited. Posted in memory of my dear friend and brother Dr. Khalid Abdelrahim (descendant d'une des grande famille de Jaffa, exportateur d’oranges, dont le père introduisit la marque d’automobiles Cadillac en Palestine, et fit construire la 'Alrahim House' aujourd'hui résidence de l'Ambassadeur de France à Jaffa). 

Lobbying involves the advocacy of an interest that is affected, actually or potentially, by the decisions of government leaders. Individuals and interest groups alike can lobby governments, and governments can even lobby each other.

1. American University, School of International Service, Washington DC, USA   http://www.american.edu/sis/programs
2. Boston University, Department of International Relations Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Boston, USA, http://www.bu.edu/ir
3. Carleton University, The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs , Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, http://www1.carleton.ca/npsia

On the UK side

• Oliver Letwin: Head of Brexit Unit and Chief Negotiator with the EU
• Senior civil servants from the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Foreign Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
• Olly Robbins, Whitehall Brexit Unit. The unit will seek out the expertise it needs in legal affairs and trade negotiations. Over 300 people to be recruited.

On the EU side

Council

Britain has one of the biggest national delegations and its members are represented in a range of political groupings in Parliament.

The UK will retain full EU membership rights for two years while the terms of its departure are negotiated. As long as the UK is a member of the EU it will be entitled to 73 seats in the European Parliament of 751. Currently, six British MEPs serve as Chairs or Vice-Chairs on European parliament committees (Development; Internal Market and Consumer Protection; and Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.