Spain: Catalonia vows to continue independence bid despite court ruling

Pro-independence leaders in Catalonia have vowed to press ahead with plans to break away from Spain, despite a decision by the Constitutional Court to suspend the secession process.

Catalan Vice-President Neus Munte said it was the political will of the regional government to carry on with plans for independence in 18 months.

Spain's government earlier appealed to the Constitutional Court to intervene.
The court warned Catalan leaders they needed to comply with the order.

"If they fail to comply with the suspension, they may commit disobedience," read the ruling by the Madrid-based high court.

Catalonia's regional parliament on Monday passed a motion to start the secession process, stating an aim of independence within 18 months, and giving 30 days to start legislation on a Catalan constitution, treasury and social security system.

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Read more: Catalonia vows to continue independence bid despite court ruling - BBC Net

U.S. rejects Crimea vote, cites Russian intimidation |

The U.S. is rejecting the vote in Crimea even before the results are released.

The White House says Sunday’s referendum on succession is contrary to Ukraine’s constitution.

The U.S. says the world won’t recognize the results of a vote held under what it says are “threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law.”

A written statement from the White House calls Russia’s actions in Ukraine “dangerous and destabilizing.”

The U.S. is urging other nations to “take concrete steps to impose costs” against Russia.

Secession was expected to be approved overwhelmingly.

For more: U.S. rejects Crimea vote, cites Russian intimidation | The Clarion-Ledger | clarionledger.com

Britain: The Netherlands is happy not to be linked to Britain’s European wishes

Dutch took David Cameron’s decision to switch venue for his Europe speech from Amsterdam to London as a disenchanted fiancé might treat a break-up: with melancholy but also relief. Some Dutch politicians were excited by the chance to be host to such a defining moment in Britain’s relationship with the European Union. The government also agrees that some EU powers should be repatriated and its budget should be restrained. But there is little sympathy for British Euroscepticism—and some fear of Mr Cameron inveigling the Netherlands into a venture it dislikes.

Officials are clear that they oppose more opt-outs for Britain, and want to repatriate powers only on the basis of a deal for all. Members of the ruling coalition have called on Mark Rutte, the prime minister, to distance himself from Mr Cameron, with whom he has a close friendship. The leader of the opposition Christian Democrats said Mr Cameron was “not such a handy ally to have in Europe”. When Mr Cameron demanded treaty changes and an in-out referendum, the government counted itself lucky to be watching from afar.

The Netherlands has always tried to draw Britain as much as possible into Europe, seeking a free-trading Atlanticist ally against more mercantilist continental voices. Frans Timmermans, the foreign minister, says the “balance between London, Paris and Berlin” has always formed the best framework for Dutch interests. But he adds that the EU needs to be reformed from inside, not by “walking away.” Mr Rutte’s previous government, with his centre-right Liberals in queasy pseudo-partnership with Geert Wilders’s far-right Party for Freedom, was often hostile to Brussels. But his new cabinet is a centrist coalition with the Labour party. Mr Timmermans, a former Labour MP, is a dedicated multilingual European who grew up in a diplomatic family.

Read more: The Dutch and David Cameron: Not wanted here | The Economist

Britain: Critical Stance on Europeans May Jeopardize Britain's Influence - by Stephen Castle

Many would ideally like to keep just one element of European Union membership, access to the single market, though achieving such status looks highly improbable.

Even those who sympathize with Mr. Cameron’s stance argue that a more detached position comes at the price of reduced influence, though they contend the cost of not changing would be higher. They also argue that leverage in some of the policy areas is of limited value anyway.

“There is a trade-off, there is no doubt,” said Mats Persson, director of Open Europe, a research organization that favors a change in Britain’s relationship with the union. “If you reduce the level of E.U. influence in the British economy and society, you will lose some influence over some policy areas.”

Others worry that Britain is weakening its own position. Charles Grant, director of the Center for European Reform, a research institute in London, says that already “British influence in Brussels is at its lowest level in the 25 years I have been following the E.U.”

And critics argue that standing back from more policy arenas would increase the country’s sense of alienation from the bloc and fuel popular sentiment that things are stacked against Britain. A more detached relationship could also prove a disadvantage in the deal-making culture that prevails in Brussels.

Britain has fewer than half France’s number of European Commission officials, and the situation seems destined to deteriorate because relatively few Britons are applying for entry-level jobs.

All this risks creating a downward spiral in British influence, which the country would need to counter by being more effective in the areas in which it remains.

“I think Britain still could have clout in more limited areas if it keeps friends and allies,” Mr. Grant said. “But the fact that we are not, for example, so engaged in justice and home affairs weakens our bargaining power across policy areas and weakens the career prospects of British officials.”

Mr. Grant added, “There has been a steady diminution in the last few years, which you could plot on a graph: the more you distance yourself the less influence you have.”

Read more: Critical Stance on Europeans May Jeopardize Britain's Influence - NYTimes.com