EU
We’re Good Europeans Yet They All Hate Us
In 1953 Thomas Mann called “not for a German Europe, but a European Germany”. Now we have both—and neither is happy
Eternal Land of the Golden Fleecing
Greeks have been fiddling the books ever since Agamemnon. Where else do you find such private generosity and public irresponsibility?
Italian Insouciance
The over-generous Italian welfare state means that for all the belt-tightening, most people in the country still enjoy la dolce vita
Sanity in Numbers
‘The 166 countries outside the EU are at peace even though they do not belong to the EU or enjoy the benefits of the single currency’
Racing Certainty
The euro’s life began in doubt and has ended in crisis; thank god we never threw our pound into the pot
The Merkozy Delusion
‘No matter how grim the outlook or how politicians squabble over what to do, Germans stick to their idealistic concept of Europe’
How Brussels Stifles Democracy in Europe
The euro would never have got off the ground if it had been put to national referendums, nor would the bailouts or austerity plans
Max Hastings, the Repentant Europhile
The military historian and former editor has belatedly renounced his European faith. Can we expect further recantations?
Europe’s Implosion Could Save the UK
Alex Salmond’s slogan, “Independence in Europe”, is no longer appealing. Unionists have a chance to reset the referendum debate
The End of Europe’s Fantasy is Now in Sight
The EU has lost all legitimacy and its former supporters are deserting in droves. But blind to reality, its apparatchiks cling on
Why Remoaners should back Boris
“Boris, ironically, now offers Remoaners the best chance of a soft Brexit, or at least a sensible one. And to those who want a second referendum—’the people’s vote’—there may even be a chance of that too.”
On the road
“In the summer of 1980, in the grip of some Kerouac-ish fantasy, I opted to hitch-hike from Laredo to New York”
Discovering the Great War of China
A third of a million Chinese labourers helped the Allies defeat the Kaiser, but their huge unsung contribution ended in betrayal