Category: Identity

One Year on from the EU Referendum

Tammy Hervey and Jo Shaw Referendums are a relatively new feature in the UK’s constitutional landscape and, considering the EU referendum’s limited franchise, it misrepresents the result to suggest that it spoke for the whole of the country, write Tammy Hervey and Jo Shaw. They argue that, going forward, it is essential to ensure that …

The ‘Headscarf Rulings’: Did the Court of Justice Really Ban Headscarves in the Workplace?

Rebecca Zahn The recent EU court rulings on wearing headscarves in the workplace demonstrate the conflict between enabling EU economic freedoms on the other hand and protecting the rights of workers on the other, writes Rebecca Zahn. She argues that, while the judgements are nuanced in their determination of acceptable work requirements, the weight given …

What Future Has the European Union after its Sixtieth Anniversary – Back to the Future?

Colin Imrie The main challenge facing today’s European Union is to find ways to bring together the diverging interests of its many members, writes Colin Imrie. He argues that, if the EU27 manage to arrive at a common vision combining economic and social priorities, the EU could begin once again to demonstrate its relevance and …

European Disintegration Deserves a More Prominent Place in European Studies

María del Carmen Sandoval Velasco The various challenges facing the European Union and its seeming inability to adequately address them have arguably fuelled European disintegration, rather than integration, writes María del Carmen Sandoval Velasco. She argues that the European studies community should respond by giving European disintegration more attention and seeking to understand its role …

2016: The Ebbing of Europe’s Radical Left Tide?

Luke March In-Depth Analysis In the economic and financial crisis and its aftermath, European radical left parties have achieved some electoral success, though major challenges will continue to limit their prospects, writes Luke March. He argues that left parties have a difficult balance to strike between maintaining their principles in their policies and recognising the …

Voice and Partnership: The Bottom Line for Scotland on Brexit?

Laura Cram The difference of the EU referendum vote in Scotland versus the whole UK and the so-far limited inclusion of the Scottish Government in formulating the UK’s Brexit strategy have created genuine political tensions, writes Laura Cram. She argues that the question of Scotland’s constitutional future has always been much more an issue of …