FRENCH:
Le Monde: Britain more isolated than ever
Libération: A European agreement (without Britain)
Le Figaro: Only Britain sulks over european agreement
Le Figaro: London pushes itself away from the European Union

SPANISH:

El País: Europe advances leaving UK isolated
El País: UK stands outside the agreement to strengthen Europe
Público: The EU gets rid of the UK in new austerity treaty
ABC: UK leaves the inner circle
ABC: UK heads out
El Mundo: UK- isolated in the EU
El Mundo: UK stands alone in the EU after Hungary’s ratification
La Vanguardia: EU agrees more fiscal integration and London pulls away
La Vanguardia: Euro summit ends with more fiscal integration and UK self-exclusion

Concluding the meeting

I know that, while most of you here today are members or representatives of your respective political parties, some of you are from what we call ‘civil society.’ Unsurprisingly, many interventions have come from the Greeks and the Spanish, notably the significant amount of time given to the contributions from representatives of the Indignados movement.

From what we have heard over the past two days, it seems clear to me that this is not just a Financial Crisis, but it is also a European Crisis, and it is a Social Democratic Crisis.

The More Europe / Less Europe conflict is everybody’s answer to everything. Ask a Eurosceptic what is the cause of the problem, and what is to be done and he will say, ‘The cause is Too Much Europe, the solution is Less Europe.’ Ask a Europhile what is the cause of the problem, and what is to be done, and he will say, ‘The cause of the problem is Too Little Europe, the solution is More Europe.’

Europe’s default position is to look inwards at itself like an ostrich with its head in the sand. I have heard today the opinion expressed that our way out of the Financial crisis is a good dose of Federalism along the lines of a Treaty Change.

This is a perfect example of what I mean when I say the Europe is always fighting the last war. The More Europe faction would have us believe that an acute disaster in the financial markets is best solved by a new treaty that would require elaboration, ratification and implementation. I do not believe for a single moment that the announcement of a new treaty would make the markets put down their weapons and wait.

To the Federalists here I would simply say that I do not believe that Europe should be a retirement home for ageing European nations run by Drs Sarkozy and Merkel. Indeed, in pages of the Lisbon Treaty lay a huge, great golden egg.

Out of it would hatch ‘the political leader for five hundred million people, the leader who would stop the traffic in major world capitals, the leader who could square up to the USA and China’. Out of this egg hatched not the eagle Tony Blair, nor the owl Felipe Gonzalez. What we got was Herman van Rompoy, the pigeon. A marvellous illustration not of European power, but of European impotence.

That’s the European crisis. The Social Democrat crisis is even more complex, but at the same time it is so simple. Listening to these sessions, I am amazed at the multitude of solutions to the question of ‘How do we exit a room with one door?’ I was amused by the word ‘de-globalisaton’ at some point.

I have always maintained that globalisation is not a threat, but an opportunity. In any case all I can say is ‘Get ready for globalisation.’ When the tide of globalisation rises, and it is rising, not even a Federal Europe will be a Fortress Europe strong enough to withstand it.

The fact remains that there are so few social democratic governments left in Europe. Colleagues, I must confess I find myself more often in the tribalist faction than I do in the pluralist one.

The Green, the Centrists, the Far left. They may pretend to be our friends when convenient for them, but come election time they will come to get us, stealing our votes and eroding our majorities.

This is not just a Financial Crisis, we need to solve a European Crisis, and we need to solve a Social Democrat Crisis.

How can Social Democracy counter nationalism and Euroscepticism while strengthening the EU?

The term ‘Eurosceptic’ is typically given to people of any political background who possess and advocate a highly negative attitude towards the European Union. Euroscepticism is, consequently, a set of political convictions that defines itself as ‘against’ the EU.

The central theme of my idea is that Euroscepticism only gains purchase on people’s thinking in contexts where public understanding of the EU itself is either partial or inadequate. Certainly, without access to the relevant facts – historical, institutional and ideological – the public is likely to be easily persuaded by a Eurosceptical stance.

Accordingly, what Social Democrats must do to counter Euroscepticism is to fill in the blanks and define clearly what Europe is for – not just through explanations of how the Commission, Parliament and Council operate, but through, more importantly, the articulation of a vision for Europe. Eurosceptics will be unable to capitalise on generalisations if Social Democrats provide specifics.

Key questions that arise in this situation are: What is Europe for? Why does it exist today? After decades of peace, what is its relevance? Given its geopolitical situation after 1989, what should we expect from a united Europe? What is the difference between a Europe of the Left and a Europe of the Right? To counter Euroscepticism, Social Democrats must provide compelling answers to such questions, so as to project an idea of Europe that is more than just a common economic market and, least of all, a bureaucratic mystery.

My year abroad is officially over, as I returned to the UK on Friday.

It’s been a year of great change for me, both professionally and personally, in a time of great change in politics and society.

This explains my recent redesign.

I go back to Nice tomorrow morning to reprise my role in the Parti Socialiste, before my final year in Bath in October.

The redesign is mainly layout and branding, but it should reflect a change of focus.

So many blogs today are too cynical and miserable. Attack attack attack or, worse fact fact fact.

I think my blog has always had a european focus. That is to say, Europe, not the European Union. When I write, I try to write my “insider” perspective, having lived and worked in politics across the continent.

I’ve thus tried to use my experience to explain and inform others about the world elsewhere.

So I hope you will enjoy the new refocused blog of mine as it enters its third year of life.

Welcome “Behind Closed Doors”.