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The EU will soon start the protracted process leading towards its next multi-annual budgetary settlement. Can it break out of the status quo trap that has bedevilled previous deals since 1988? My four propositions for change in this piece for Encompass Plausible? LSE European Institute

Ever wondered what all the fuss is about fiscal rules, why the Office for Budget Responsibility looms so large in budget decisions in the UK and what the German debt brake does? Daniel Cicak and I offer answers in this explainer for UK in a Changing Europe ukandeu.ac.uk/?p=57552&post_… Both systems could be better LSE European Institute

Yes, the far right secured more seats in the new European Parliament, but right-left is not the only critical dimension. The 4 broadly pro-European groupings have done rather better than expected, winning 63% of the seats. That may be the more important conclusion to draw.

Lively debate with Raymond Torres of Funcas on how to reform the EU budget. The catch-22 is that while most interlocutors agree on the need for reform, they resist changes critical to achieving it. Thanks to Carlos Carnicero Urabayen for summarising funcas.es/articulos/navi… LSE European Institute

My responses (and those of @Zach_CER) to questions about the UK and Europe after the election: a largely neglected topic during the campaigns. Rather downbeat: not much likely to change soon, except maybe the tone of relations blocs.kessel.media/posts/pst_1f54… LSE European Institute

Looking forward to speaking, in distinguished company, at the OMFIF panel this evening at the @icaew on revitalising the economy and sorting out our infrastructure post election. Defining what has to change is the easier bit, agreeing solutions is harder LSE European Institute

Good exchanges with László Andor in this FEPS podcast. We also explored ideas for the future of the EU budget and the wider 'galaxy' of EU funding mechanisms, among other challenges the new EU leadership needs to confront with some urgency. LSE European Institute LSE

My five cents' worth on what the new UK government might expect from the EPC meeting this week, as collected by Alice Tidey for euronews UK aims for EU relations need to be ambitious, conceivably including reengagement with the European Investment Bank euronews.com/my-europe/2024… LSE European Institute LSE

Now would be the optimal time for Rachel Reeves to recast the UK fiscal framework, to deal with its evident shortcomings (documented by, among others, @ollybartrum Ben Zaranko ... and yours truly). Insights could come from Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. LSE European Institute UK in a Changing Europe

The early success of the European Political Community meeting and the PM's visits to Berlin and Paris last week have reinforced the change of tone in UK-EU relations. My thoughts for China Xinhua News: english.news.cn/20240902/17d40… Can we now expect more substantive change? LSE European Institute LSE

Pleased to be in Warsaw today to contribute to this Visegrad Insight Forum on the many, many challenges of a further EU enlargement. What is striking is the positivity here about bringing in the candidate countries. Cynics about the remoteness of accession take note! LSE European Institute

A varied set of questions in this interview for TVP World during my visit to Warsaw last week. A challenge for Poland seems to be how to keep sectors like farming happy while confronting the 'bear' on their borders. LSE European Institute LSE

In case Rachel Reeves has not yet had her fill of unsolicited advice on sorting the UK's fiscal challenges, here's my 5 (OK, 10...) cents' worth for UK in a Changing Europe One figure: the UK public debt to GDP ratio is over double that of a number of the countries cited @lseei Anand Menon

Should we be more worried about what Trump says he will do or what he eventually does? Either way, it is hard to be optimistic about the economic impact on Europe. Or have I misread the runes? LSE European Institute

Her proposals improve on what Gus O'Donnell recently excoriated as the 'absurd' rules she inherited from Jeremy Hunt , including in re-establishing a 'golden rule' to protect public investment. But a strategic opportunity for more innovative reforms has been missed LSE European Institute

A research study co-authored by researchers from CEPS ThinkTank, European Policies Research Centre and Bruegel (and yours truly!) on performance budgeting and mainstreaming in the EU budget is now published: europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes… Big challenges for future EU budget deals... @lseei

Will a big bang enlargement of the EU, bringing in all the putative new members except for Türkiye, blow-up the EU budget? See study led by Eulalia Rubio & Cinzia Alcidi to which I contributed: europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes… Simple answer: NO! @lseei

Amid all the frenzy about how to fund higher defence spending, could the EU be approaching a 'Hamiltonian moment' by issuing true euro bonds? My answer: not (quite) yet, but see this POLITICOEurope piece for which Carlo Martuscelli interviewed me politico.eu/article/europe… LSE European Institute

My interview for China Xinhua News on the likely impact of a tariff war: english.news.cn/europe/2025032… Maybe not startlingly original, I concede, but we economists need to keep stressing the risks and costs of an escalation of trade hostilities LSE European Institute

Professor Iain Begg has been interviewed by China Xinhua News and TVP World on the impact of high tariffs and trade tensions on the global economy and the response from the EU and the U.K. 🔗english.news.cn/europe/2025032… youtube.com/watch?v=knpf2p…