Maastricht Treaty

The 1930s municipal elections that put an end to the monarchy in Spain

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Thursday, July 20, 2023
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We have seen this in the case of referendums that were intended as mere ratification procedures.

Key Points: 
  • We have seen this in the case of referendums that were intended as mere ratification procedures.
  • This was partly the case of the Spanish municipal and regional elections on 28 May.
  • Almost a century ago, another call for local elections led to the fall of the Spanish Monarchy and the birth of the Second Republic.

The Republican 14 April

    • Another one, the encasillado), saw designated ministers from the incoming government allocate seats to MPs in a bid to help them secure the comfortable majority required to govern.
    • However, the system gradually deteriorated, reaching its worst point under the dictatorship of General Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923–1930).
    • Deeply unpopular under the dictatorship, King Alfonso XIII sought to burnish his credentials by returning to the previous political system.
    • In Madrid and Barcelona, the Republican opposition managed to respectively triple and quadruple the scores of monarchist candidates.
    • That meant that local and provincial councils maintained their Francoist composition for more than three additional years after the dictator’s death.

A coin toss

    • On 12 March 1986, prime minister Felipe González honoured his electoral pledge by calling a referendum on Spain’s membership of NATO.
    • They were joined by some dissident leaders, the Socialist Youth and the (then still) sister union of the UGT.
    • Although the “No” vote won in Catalonia, the Basque Country, Navarre and the Canary Islands, “Yes” triumphed overall with 56.85%.
    • Regardless of who ends up losing out on 23 July, the fact is that such agonising approaches alienate citizen consensus and democratic quality.

Brexit and UK Defence: An Explainer

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Wednesday, June 3, 2020
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A number of initiatives to further the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy have been agreed, with the participation of the UK, since the Brexit referendum in 2016.

Key Points: 
  • A number of initiatives to further the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy have been agreed, with the participation of the UK, since the Brexit referendum in 2016.
  • What do they entail and what will be the impact for the UK now that it is no longer an EU Member State?
  • EU defence cooperation has been a stated ambition of EU Member States since the 1992 Maastricht Treaty.
  • These developments are frequently raised within the context of Brexit, with questions asked over the nature of UK-EU defence cooperation going forward.

Parliament and the three extensions of Article 50

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Friday, November 1, 2019
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House of Commons Library

Key Points: 
  • House of Commons Library

    This paper explains the legal and political background to the three extensions of the UKs EU-exit process under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).

  • Overview

    When a Member State seeks to leave the EU, a process is initiated under Article 50 TEU.

  • Previous extensions of Article 50

    Since then, three extension decisions have been taken by the European Council (on all three occasions with the agreement of the UK Government).

  • The third extension of Article 50

    On 19 October 2019 the current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, sent a letter to the President of the European Council requesting an extension of Article 50 until 31 January 2020.

Highlights - Reasoned proposal under Article 7(1) TEU regarding Hungary: state of play - 21.3 - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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Tuesday, March 19, 2019
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In the LIBE meeting of 21 March Members will have an exchange of views with Frans Timmermans, First Vice - President of the European Commission as well with the Council Presidency on the progress in examination of the EP reasoned proposal under Article 7(1) TEU regarding Hungary.

Key Points: 
  • In the LIBE meeting of 21 March Members will have an exchange of views with Frans Timmermans, First Vice - President of the European Commission as well with the Council Presidency on the progress in examination of the EP reasoned proposal under Article 7(1) TEU regarding Hungary.
  • This proposal is calling on the Council to determine, pursuant to Article 7(1) of the Treaty on European Union, the existence of a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded.

RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Treaty establishing the Transport Community - A8-0022/2019

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Monday, February 25, 2019
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RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Treaty establishing the Transport Community

Key Points: 

RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Treaty establishing the Transport Community

Report - Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Treaty establishing the Transport Community - A8-0022/2019 - Committee on Transport and Tourism

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Wednesday, January 30, 2019
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RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Treaty establishing the Transport Community

Key Points: 

RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Treaty establishing the Transport Community

Brexit: Article 50 TEU at the CJEU

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Monday, December 10, 2018
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Monday, December 10, 2018Can Article 50 TEU be unilaterally revoked? This briefing paper considers the Advocate General's opinion and the CJEU's judgment in the Wightman case, and what implications the CJEU's judgment has for the United Kingdom.

Key Points: 
  • House of Commons Library

    Can Article 50 TEU be unilaterally revoked?

  • Scottish Court of Session refers

    The Wightman case concerns the UKs potential ability to revoke its notification of Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).

  • Following a dispute between the UK Government and several Scottish MSPs and MPs, the Scottish Inner House of the Court of Session referred a question to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to ascertain if unilateral revocation of Article 50 TEU notification (to withdraw from the EU) was possible, with or without conditions.
  • CJEU ruling

    On 10 December 2018, the CJEU itself ruled and, in contrast to the Advocate General, found that unilateral revocation of Article 50 TEU was a sovereign right for any Member State to pursue without any conditions attached, beyond the decision to revoke notification needing to follow a democratic process that satisfied national constitutional requirements (as notifying under Article 50 TEU also does) and that the revocation would have to be made before a concluded withdrawal agreement had entered into force or (if there was no agreement) before the Article 50 negotiating period had expired (whether extended by unanimous European Council agreement or not).