A new poll on Scotland’s referendum shows “No” voters — that is, Scottish voters againstindependence — have retaken the lead with less than one week to go.
After the victory of the Social Democrats in the Swedish parliamentary elections, party leader Stefan Löfven announced he would enter negotiations with both left-wing and conservative parties. He rejected offhand a coalition with the Sweden Democrats. The moderate parties must join forces to counter the rise of the right-wing populists, commentators write, and see the growing social inequality as the biggest challenge the new prime minister faces
The Welsh are feeling adrift and driven by currents flowing from north of the border
the Welsh Assembly building – wikimedia
Conflicted views in Wales about the Scottish referendum were perfectly encapsulated by First Minister Carwyn Jones’ response to George Osborne’s belated promise of Devo Max if there is a No vote next Thursday. “Whatever further devolution is offered to Scotland must also be offered to Wales and Northern Ireland,” he announced on twitter.
Regardless of the outcome of the Scots vote, we must seize this chance to reimagine the constitutional order of these isles.
On Thursday, Scotland will vote. Suddenly Nigel Farage is all over the news saying the English are getting a raw deal and should get a ‘constitutional settlement of their own’. As former and current Co-Convenors of Compass Greens, it’s unsurprising that we’ve been discussing and circulating ideas for a new social and constitutional compact. Unlike the UKIP demand for a federal UK based on Little England as a fortress outside the European Union, Greens and progressives should seize this historic moment to argue for a new constitutional and democratic compact, with electoral reform, including proportional representation for both houses of parliament, greater participatory democracy in the regions, and a written constitution with a citizens bill of rights.
Good luck on Thursday Scotland. Vote with an open heart and a clear head. Dismiss exaggerated risks and understand the real ones, and we’ll see you as you emerge from the polling booth.
Following the murder of a British aid worker by the IS, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron vowed on Sunday to “destroy” the terrorist militia. The West must not allow itself to be provoked into rash retaliatory acts, commentators warn and call for a clear position regarding the Syrian regime in the fight against terrorism.
The nomination of Miguel Arias Cañete for the position of Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy has been roundly criticised.
Germany’s Eurosceptic AfD party won handily in parliamentary elections in Brandenburg and Thuringia on Sunday (14 September), following successes in the European Parliament and Saxon elections. But other parties are appalled, with centre-right politicians calling for an urgent reassessment of how to deal with the party. EurActiv Germany reports.
For as long as I can remember I’ve been wrestling with a deep and personal resentment of Britain. As a new emigrant with no immediate plans to return to the UK the Scottish referendum has got me sick with hope. I’m paralysed, mad with the weighty question: “who am I without Britain?”
Catalan activists look to Scots campaign
An independent Scotland would have to confront some of the very same legal and economic issues that would also be faced by a breakaway Catalan state
Ideas on Europe by Viviane Gravey
The 44th conference of the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES) took place in University College Cork last week. It brought together about 400 scholars, including one hundred postgraduate students to discuss recent research in EU studies. As the biggest EU studies association, UACES and its general conference afford a great opportunity to gauge the state of EU studies – and more precisely the part in which I work – EU environmental policies.
The Guardian view on the Scottish referendum: Britain deserves another chance
The Guardian – Editorial – Sep 12, 10:17 AM – At its best, the independence referendum campaign in Scotland has been a reassertion of some of the things that matter most to this newspaper and its readers. The reflections and debates have felt at times like a collective reawakening, achieving a…
Scotland: Why independence after 300 years?
Jon Worth
NOTE: this is a piece commissioned by the Norwegian online magazine Vox Publica, and was translated into Norwegian for that purpose. The Norwegian version can be found here:Skottland: Hvorfor uavhengighet etter 300 år? The English original is here with permission from Vox Pubica, but – unlike other posts on this blog – is not Creative Commons Licensed, and hence my not be syndicated or re-used. The piece gives an overview of the Scottish Independence debate and how Scotland arrived where it is today.
It’s not just Scotland. Catalonia and Kurdistan are both fighting for autonomy too.
open Democracy News Analysis – by Lev Taylor
Movements across the world are fighting for politicial autonomy as a route to build a better society. If Scotland votes yes, it will have profound importance for Kurds and Catalans.
A letter to young people in Scotlandopen Democracy News Analysis – by William Pinkney-BairdAn English student writes to his contemporaries in Scotland urging them to vote yes.
Dear friends,
I am not Scottish—I was born in London, and now spend my time between Durham and Gloucestershire—but that doesn’t mean I can’t take an interest in the debate over Scottish independence. Nor does it mean I can’t take a small part in this discussion, as when I travelled to Edinburgh and Glasgow last month to canvass door-to-door, talking to ordinary people about their concerns and hopes for the future. Whichever way Scotland votes a month from today will have a profound impact on all the people living on these islands, shaping our future in so many ways. But that is not what I am writing about today. Today I’d like to share some of my thoughts on what independence would mean for you, the young people of Scotland, and why—were I living in Scotland and had the chance to vote—I would vote yes to independence.
German anti-euro party wins seats
BBC News | Europe | World Edition
A conservative German anti-euro party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), picks up seats in two more regional parliaments
Scotland’s future in Europe: taming the paper tiger
open Democracy News Analysis – by Alyn Smith
The real risk to Scotland’s place in the EU comes from Westminster, UKIP and the Tories.
Scotland stands on the brink of a big decision. On the 18th of September, we face a straightforward choice. Do we want to govern our own affairs, to take our own choices and pursue our own political course, or should we leave power in Westminster’s hands? Across this country, from Assynt to Roxburgh, Oban to Peterhead, folk are asking basic questions about the kind of nation Scotland should be, debating passionately about the values which should undergird it.
Democratic dreams and political reality in Europe
open Democracy News Analysis – by Daniele Archibugi
A report on European attitudes to democracy, backed up by data from the European Social Survey, is launched today to mark the UN day for democracy. The main message for the political class is that an increasingly qualified and demanding public opinion does not deserve to be administered from above.
The rise and fall of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement
open Democracy News Analysis – by Symeon Andronidis
Once a hegemonic presence in Greek politics, PASOK (the Panhellenic Socialist Movement) is now on the verge of extinction. What happened?
…In the silence you don’t know, you must go on, I can’t go on, I’II go on…
– Samuel Beckett. (The Unnamable, English Edition 1958).
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) is celebrates 40 years since its foundation (1974-2014). This political party, which became hegemonic, affected the social and political transition in Greece, especially after the electoral triumph in 1981 (PASOK won the 48% of the votes). The Panhellenic Socialist Movement is connected with the period of transition known as Metapolitefsi, which followed the collapse of the military junta that had ruled Greece since 1967.
“On the occasion of the 1150th anniversary of the mission of Saints Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia, the Czech Television and Barrandov Studios Prague, along with co-producers from Slovakia and Slovenia, have shot a film entitled “Cyril and Methodius – The Apostles of the Slavs“. This historical saga, under the directorship of Petr Nikolaev, is advertised as the first Czech movie in the “docudrama” style (similar to analogous historical productions of BBC).
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