Samuel Abraham – PhD, Rector of BISLA and Editor of Kritika&Kontext – Bratislava, Slovakia
Lilli Alanen – Professor Emeritus of History of Philosophy, University of Uppsala – Uppsala, Sweden
Alberto Alemanno – Jean Monnet Professor of EU Law, HEC Paris – Paris, France
Neal Ascherson – Writer, journalist, former foreign correspondent for the Guardian and editor of Public Archaeology – Scotland
Jan Assmann – Professor Emeritus, Institute for Egyptology, University of Heidelberg – Konstanz, Germany
Albena Azmanova – Associate Professor of Political and Social Thought, Brussels School of International Studies – Brussels, Belgium
Etienne Balibar – Chair, Modern European Philosophy, Kingston University London – Paris, France
Solvej Balle – Writer – Marstal, Denmark
Anthony Barnett – Writer and Co-founder, Open Democracy – Oxford, England
Rainer Bauböck – Chairman, Commission on Migration and Integration Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Professor of Social and Political Theory, European University Institute – Vienna, Austria
Neil Belton – Writer and publisher – London, England
Volker R. Berghahn – Seth Low Emeritus Professor of History, Columbia University – New York, USA
Cinthia Bianconi – President, Fondazione Adriano Olivetti – Rome, Italy
Florian Bieber – Jean Monnet Chair in the Europeanisation of Southeastern Europe, University of Graz – Graz, Austria
William Boyd – Novelist – London, England
June Caldwell – Writer – Dublin, Ireland
Carmen Calill – Writer and Founder of Virago Press, Fellow, Royal Society of Literature – London, England
Duncan Campbell – Investigative Journalist – Brighton, England
Lydia Carras – Founder and director Greek Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage – Athens, Greece
Iannis Carras – Historian and political scientist, University of Macedonia – Thessaloniki, Greece
Roger Casale – President, New Europeans – Roccatederighi, Italy
Jonathan Coe – Novelist – England
Luke Cooper – Researcher, Politics and International Relations, LSE, Convenor, Another Europe is Possible – London, England
Arthur Cormack – Gaelic singer – Portree, Scotland
Olivier Costa – Professor of EU Studies, CNRS-CEVIPOF, Director, Department of European Political and Governance Studies, College of Europe – Bruges, Belgium
Brian Cox – Actor, Olivier Award, Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner – New York, USA
Franca D’Agostini – Philosopher – Torino, Italy
Ida Dominjanni – Journalist and author – Rome, Italy
Sionaidh Douglas-Scott – Anniversary Chair of Law Queen Mary University, formerly Professor of European and Human Rights Law – London, England
Fiona Dove – Executive Director, Transnational Institute, Amsterdam – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Patrick Doyle – Scots born Oscar and Cesar nominated composer – London, England
Nishan Dzhingozyan – East-European Forum coordinator – London, England
David Edgerton – Professor of Modern British History, King’s College London – London, England
Regina Egle Liotta Catrambone – MOAS International Co-Founder & Director – La Valletta, Malta
Brian Eno – Artist and Musician – London, England
Casper Eric – Writer – Copenhagen, Denmark
Thomas Hylland Eriksen – Professor for Social Anthropology, University of Oslo – Oslo, Norway
Eva Erman – Professor of Politics, Stockholm University, Editor in Chief, Ethics and Global Politics – Stockholm, Sweden
Richard Eyre – Director in Film, Theatre and Opera – Gloucestershire, England
Elena Ferrante – Writer – Italy
Peter Finch – Poet – Cardiff, Wales
Neil Gaiman – Author and writer – England
Paul Gillespie – Senior research fellow, Institute for British-Irish Studies, University College Dublin and Irish Times columnist – Dublin, Ireland
Paul Gilroy – Writer and teacher – London, England
Misha Glenny – Writer and Broadcaster – London, England
Ana Gomes – Human right campaigner and former diplomat – Cascais, Portugal
Michael Gray – Solicitor and Activist – Edinburgh, Scotland
Hana Grgic – Journalist – Berlin, Germany
Ulrike Guerot – Founder and Director, European Democracy Lab, Berlin – Berlin, Germany
Christopher Hampton – Playwright, Academy Award winner – London, England
Kirstin Hannesdòttir – Architect and Honorary Icelandic Consul – Edinburgh, Scotland
Miklos Haraszti – Writer and human rights champion – Budapest, Hungary
Gerry Hassan – writer and commentator – Glasgow, Scotland
Alistair Heather – Writer and presenter – Newbigging, Scotland
Jens-André P. Herbener – Historian of Religion & Author – Ringsted, Denmark
Sam Heughan – Actor – Scotland
Leslie Hills – Film Producer, Skyline Productions – Edinburgh, Scotland
Felix Hoffmann – Activist – Berlin, Germany
Axel Honneth – Director, Institute for Social Research, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Jack C. Weinstein Professor of Philosophy, Columbia University – Frankfurt, Germany
Srećko Horvat – Philosopher – Island of Vis, Croatia
Vedran Horvat – Head of the Institute for Political Ecology – Zagreb, Croatia
Ivo Indzhov – Associate Professor of Journalism, State St Cyril and St Methodius University – Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
Daniel Innerarity – Professor of Political Philosophy at University of the Basque Country – Saint Sebastian, Spain
Abby Innes – Professor in Political Economy, European Institute, LSE – London, England
Federico Ippoliti – Advancement manager – Glasgow, Scotland
Jure Ivanusic – Actor, writer and musician – Maribor, Slovenia
Carsten Jensen – Writer – Copenhagen, Denmark
Liz Jensen – Writer – Copenhagen, Denmark
Janina Jetter – Writer and Translator – Oxford, England
Tobias Jones – Writer and journalist – Parma, Italy
Mary Kaldor – Professor of Global Governance, LSE – London, England
Pat Kane – Writer and musician – Glasgow, Scotland
Jackie Kay – Scots Makar, the national poet laureate of Scotland – Manchester, England
Billy Kay – Writer/broadcaster – Scotland
João Kay – Language Tutor – Scotland
Debora Kayembe – Human Rights lawyer, political activist and current Rector of the University of Edinburgh – Edinburgh, Scotland
Daniel Kehlmann – Writer and Fellow, German Academy for Language and Literature (Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung) – Berlin, Germany
A.L. Kennedy – Writer, academic and stand-up comedian – Wivenhoe, England
Declan Kiberd – Writer, author of Inventing Ireland, Ulysses and Us – Dublin, Ireland
Corinna Kirchhoff – Actress – Berlin, Germany
Eszter Kollar – Assistant Professor, Center for Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, KU Leuven – Leuven, Belgium
Milja Komulainen – Artist and Activist – Helsinki, Finland
Lea Kreinin – Lecturer at Tallinn Polytechnical College – Glasgow, Scotland
Halliki Kreinin – Teaching and Research Assistant at the Ecological Economics Institute, Vienna – Vienna, Austria
Roman Krznaric – Philosopher, Long Now Foundation, San Francisco – London, England
Brigid Laffan – Director, Robert Schuman Centre, European University Institute – Florence, Italy
Bård Larsen – Historian, Civita – Oslo, Norway
Marc Lazar – Professor of history and sociology, Institut d’Etudes Politiques – Paris, France
Leif Lewin – Johann Skytte Professor Emeritus of Eloquence and Government, Uppsala University – Uppsala, Sweden
Charlotta E. Lindell – Journalist – Malmo, Sweden
Ondřej Lipár – Poet – Prague, Czech Republic
Santiago López-García – Professor, History and Economic Institutions, University of Salamanca – Salamanca, Spain
Jamie Mackay – Writer and Translator – Florence, Italy
Colin Macpherson – Spokesperson for Germans for Scottish Independence – Straubing, Germany
Catherine Malabou – Professor of Philosophy, Kingston University and European Graduate School – Kingston, England
Phillip Marliere – Professor of French and European Politics, UCL – London, England
David Marquand – Political Theorist and Historian, on. Distinguished Professor, Cardiff University – Penarth, Wales
Judith Marquand – Economic Sociologist, Hon. Professor, Cardiff University – Penarth, Wales
Lorenzo Marsili – Philsopher and Activist, Co-Founder, European Alternatives – Italy
Laura McAllister – Professor of Public Policy and the Governance of Wales, Cardiff University – Cardiff, Wales
Val McDermid – Writer and broadcaster – Scotland
Ian McEwan – Writer, Fellow, Royal Society of Literature – London, England
Cameron McNeish – Mountaineer, broadcaster, writer, FRSGS – Badenoch, Scotland
Yves Mény – Emeritus President European University Institute – Florence, Italy
Susi Meret – Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Society, Aalborg University – Aalborg, Denmark
Gian Giacomo Migone – Emeritus Professor, History of Euro-Atlantic Relations, University of Torino, Advisor, Center of European Studies, Columbia University – Turin, Italy
George Monbiot – Writer and campaigner – Oxford, England
Jane Morrice – Journalist, former Deputy Speaker of the NI Assembly, Head of the EU Commission Office in NI, Vice President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) – Bangor, Northern Ireland
Tom Nairn – Political Scientist, Distinguished IAS Fellow at University College, Durham University – Livingston, Scotland
Sofia Näsström – Professor, Department of Government, Uppsala University – Uppsala, Sweden
Kalypso Nikolaïdis – Director, Center of International Studies, University of Oxford, Chair, School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute – Florence, Italy
Eduard Nižňanský – Professor of History, Comenius University Bratislava – Bratislava, Slovakia
Magnus Nome – Writer and Editor, Teddy TV – Oslo, Norway
Claire Methven O’Brien – Baxter Fellow and Lecturer in Law, University of Dundee, Chief Adviser, Danish Institute for Human Rights – Dundee, Scotland
Brendan O’Leary – Lauder Professor of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, USA
Fintan O’Toole – Author, literary critic, historical writer, and political commentator – Dublin, Ireland
Katrin Oddsdottir – Human Rights Lawyer and Director, Icelandic Constitution Society – Reykjavik, Iceland
Claus Offe – Professor Emeritus of Political Sociology, Hertie School, University of Governance, Berlin – Berlin, Germany
Sofi Oksanen – Writer and playwright – Helsinky, Finland
Nigel Osborne – Composer – Scottish Borders, Scotland
John Osmond – Writer and former Director, Institute of Welsh Affairs – Cardiff, Wales
Reka Kinga Papp – Editor, Eurozine – Vienna, Austria
Silvia Paracchini – Geneticist, University of St.Andrews, FRSE – The Royal Society of Edinburgh – St. Andrews, Scotland
Flavia Perina – Journalist and author – Rome, Italy
Philip Pettit – Professor of Politics and Human Values, Princeton University – Princeton, USA
Andrea Pisauro – Activist and Neuroscientist, University of Birmingham – Oxford, England
Marina Prentoulis – Associate Professor of Politics and Media, University of East Anglia – London, England
Philip Pullman – Writer – Oxford, England
Sioned Puw Rowlands – Director, Wales Literature Exchange – Aberystwyth, Wales
Carla Hilário Quevedo – Author and TV Commentator – Lisbon, Portugal
Carlos Quevedo – Journalist and Radio producer – Lisbon, Portugal
Adam Ramsay – Editor, Open Democracy – Edinburgh, Scotland
Elena Remigi – Founder and Director, In Limbo Project – Maidenhead, England
Lesley Riddoch – Writer and Broadcaster – Edinburgh, Scotland
Lise Ringhof – Writer – Valby, Denmark
James Robertson – Writer, general editor of the Scots language imprint Itchy Coo – Angus, Scotland
Ricky Ross – Musician – Glasgow, Scotland
Christian F. Rostbøll – Professor of political science – Copenhagen, Denmark
Apolena Rychlíková – Documentary film director – Czech Republic
Astrid Saalbach – Writer – Copenaghen, Denmark
Alex Sakalis – Writer and teacher – Corfu, Greece
Saskia Sassen – Columbia University. – New York, USA
Roberto Saviano – Journalist and writer – Italy
Willem Schinkel – Associate Professor of Theoretical Sociology, Erasmus University Rotterdam – Rotterdam, Netherlands
Joachim Schiødt – Musician – Frederiksberg, Denmark
Rory Scothorne – Writer – Edinbgurgh, Scotland
Sławomir Sierakowski – Founder, Krytyka Polityczna, Director, Institute for Advanced Study, Warsaw – Warsaw, Poland
Jānis Šipkēvics – Musician and composer – Riga, Latvia
Lars Skinnebach – Poet – Sønderho, Denmark
Mike Small – Editor of Bella Caledonia – Edinburgh, Scotland
Elaine Constance Smith – Actress – Glasgow, Scotland
Morten Søndergaard, – Writer – Pietrasanta, Italy
Jan Sowa – Sociologist, Associate Professor, Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw – Warsaw, Poland
Kristina Stolz – Writer – Copenhagen, Denmark
Nanna Storr-Hansen – Writer – Skovlunde, Denmark
Joan Subirats – Professor of Political Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona – Barcelona, Spain
G. M. Tamás – Professor of Philosophy, Central European University, Vienna/Budapest – Budapest, Hungary
Peter Tatchell – Human Rights Campaigner – London, England
Sérgio Tavares – – Glasgow, Scotland
Janne Teller – Writer – London, England
Ece Temelkuran – Journalist and author – Zagreb, Croatia
Vladimir Tismăneanu – Professor of Politics, Director, Center for the Study of Post-Communist Societies, University of Maryland – College Park, USA
Jennifer Todd – Research Director Institute for British Irish Studies, UCD – Dublin, Ireland
Colm Tóibín – Writer and Fellow, Royal Society of Literature, Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor, Columbia University – New York, USA
Adam Tooze – Director, European Institute, Professor of History, Columbia University – New York, USA
Nadia Urbinati – Kyriakos Tsakopoulos Professor of Political Theory, University of Columbia – New York, USA
Erik Valeur – Writer – Sønderho, Denmark
Luisa Valmarin – Professor of Literature, Sapienza University – Rome, Italy
Phillipe van Parijs – Hoover Chair of Economic and Social Ethics, University of Louvain, Professor of Political Philosophy, University of Leuven, Fellow, British Academy – Louvain, Belgium
Robert Van Voren – Human right activist and sovietologist – Vilnius, Lithuania
Federico Varese – Professor of crimonology, University of Oxford – Oxford, England
Alexander Vella Gregory – Composer – Valletta, Malta
Borna Vujčić – Writer – Zagreb, Croatia
Hilary Wainwright – Sociologist and Activist, Editor, Red Pepper Magazine – London, England
Vron Ware – Writer and teacher – London, England
Nikoline Werdelin – Writer, play-writer, cartoonist – Copenaghen, Denmark
Anne Weyembergh – Professor Faculty of Law and Institute of European Studies, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Founder and Co-ordinator, European Criminal Law Academic Network – Bruxelles, Belgium
Stuart White – Associate Professor of Politics, University of Oxford – Oxford, England
Robin Wilson – Editor and researcher, Social Europe – Belfast, Northern Ireland
Neşe Yaşın – Poet and author – Nicosia, Cyprus
Gary Younge – Journalist, author, broadcaster and academic – Manchester, England
Slavoj Žižek – Philosopher and cultural critic – Ljubljana, Slovenia
A most welcome message of support Mike. Hopefully the EU will respond with the message that it could easily be accommodated by shifting the Irish Sea border to the Scotland-England border and acting as if Scotland had never left the EU.
If Scotland votes NO and Ireland votes YES disgruntled loyalists will be offered generous packages to relocate to the British colony of Scotland thus ensuring a unionist majority there forever. Scotland – a green beacon of renewable energy and fresh water OR a ghettoised dumping ground for Eton toff problems of their own making.
It’s your choice.
Now THATS what you call being love bombed, must be how it feels winning the lottery,thanks Mike made my day
I wish I had said that Robbie. ;-(
Whilst those of us who are in favour of re-joining the EU, post-independence will justifiably be pleased about this, we must keep it in mind that we can’t have it both ways. We must caution (ourselves and each other) against assuming that on achieving independence a similar % of those who live in Scotland will wish to re-join. Perhaps it’s not the best option for us. Perhaps, with a range of alternatives presented to us, whether that be full EU membership such as we had pre-Brexit or some other form of relationship with our neighbours. It is our hope that the %s will change to our advantage when we have our indy referendum and there may be some who would be delighted when it’s achieved but who do not wish to be part of the EU, and perhaps certainly not without the asking. When trying to persuade people to shift to Yes, we cannot then bulldoze through other changes as well.
Derek, I completely agree. Just because someone didn’t want to break up doesn’t mean they necessarily want to get back together! I personally worry whether we can achieve radical independence within EU rules (e.g. on budget deficit, state aid, fisheries and farming). It’s a conversation that needs to be had, and re-entry would need a referendum or some other kind of new popular vote. For Sturgeon to say it’s already decided is thoroughly undemocratic and for me suggests a ‘business as usual’ vision of independence.
England will be back in once they become totally isolated.
If Scotland votes NO and Ireland votes YES disgruntled loyalists will be offered generous packages to relocate to the British colony of Scotland thus ensuring a unionist majority there forever. Scotland – a green beacon of renewable energy and fresh water OR a ghettoised dumping ground for Eton toff problems of their own making. It’s your choice.
Can you please stop saying ” re- join ” Scotland was never a member state of the EU
As an independent state you could apply,why you’d jump from the Westminster pan and into the Brussels fire is totally beyond me as you have to submit your budget and that budget would absolutely have to be in alignment with EU austerity and neo liberal economics
As an older Scots woman who has been voting for the SNP for the past 40 years, I am bursting with hope at the publication of this letter from our EU and British supporters in our quest for independence. At last we have some positive feedback about our preferred independent status within Europe, rather than the casual dismissal we usually receive about this from Westminster.
In view of the current unethical behaviour shown by many of the Conservative ruling party, I sincerely hope that the EU will continue its proactive support for the Scottish people in their quest for a fair, democratic and equitable society that can only be achieved through independence from Westminster. I also hope that the other devolved nations within Britain will receive the same support from the EU in the future, should they decide to vote for independence through their democratically held elections.
Your problems are with the Tories,breaking the union of the UK won’t solve Scotland problem
Take it from me if you think Tory austerity is bad wait until you get the EU version,if you don’t believe me just ask Greece
The EU is totally driven by its treaties and they all enshrine neo- liberalism and privatisation
Take your independence and hold onto it,but for gods sake don’t throw it away in the EU
What did they do to Greece? Like the rest of us they were shafted by greedy bankers. Were it a federal EU they would’ve been expected to bail Greece out but it isn’t. The Leave mob made a big thing out of the “UK” supposedly having to bail out smaller countries like Greece but it was all bollocks. The EU as it stands is little more than a trading club with a set of rules which allows countries frictionless trade with each other. The EU wouldn’t have had the power to steal our oil or sell off our nationalised industries to their pals in the city for a song the way the English did. I can understand the worries over privatisation but the future isn’t nationalising everything that doesn’t move, it’s accountability through technology. The bigger the trading block the greater that accountability will be. It certainly won’t happen in the “UK”. Brexit was all about the Eton toffs and their cronies escaping the EU’s first shots on accountability. The fact this was facilitated by the working classes who are expected to pay the toff’s taxes for them shows how ingrained the gravy train is in the “UK” media.
Mind you, were an independent Scottish government to apply for readmission, the only opinion that would count is that of the EU itself, and those who determine that opinion are more likely to be impressed by realpolitik than by celebrity.
Long before AS and ALBA appeared on the scene I was in favour of not rejoining the EU immediately but first securing Membership of EFTA so that we could reset some basic principles e.g. VAT rates, Fishing Rules, etc, yet regain access to Single Market. OK, we’d still have to pay (like Norway) but it would give time for a New Scotland to settle down and then decide.
But EFTA membership doesnt guarantee membership of the single market. Its more that each current EFTA member had separately agreed a deal with the EU.
EFTA membership allows a degree of trade (but not a customs union) between Norway, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Iceland. But it doesnt mean you are part of any deal with the EU.
“Decide ”
Decide what exactly????
You honestly can’t just opt into the EEA agreement then opt out
Scotland would be an absolute laughing stock,you’d sign up and stay in,oh and pay without a vote,plus you’d be obliged to implement basically all the EU neo liberal privatisation policies
Word of advice,don’t go there,not even the Norwegian like it,although looking at Brexit they don’t know what to do about it,they’ve allowed themselves to be subordinated into the EU creating a huge and frankly intolerable democratic deficit,and thats the Norwegian governments own analysis,but they’re now bound by their old referendum which rejected membership,a very dumb move if you ask me
This really does need to be clarified by the political party pushing for Scottish independence. Living in a Scotland outwith the EU, EFTA and not a signatory to the ECHR is likely to be somewhat unpleasant in terms of wealth, standard of living and having your basic human rights protected by law (I don’t even mean the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights which is where our eg FOI rights come from) but the basic level of the rights of the European Convention on Human Rights.
EFTA membership is not a given and means that many EU directives apply automatically and that there will be no option to negotiate an opt out in relation to them or even to debate their content and effect, and it also means that the EU duty of mutual co-operation will not apply to EFTA countries.
Without EFTA membership, you don’t have any freedom of movement even to EFTA countries, so visas and passports will be required.
I have heard talk amongst SNP supporters that the party policy is changing to some form of a “Celtic Alliance” instead of EFTA or EU membership. That honestly doesn’t sound very compelling to me.
When our independence is realised (very soon I hope), a referendum on the various options for our future should take place. Everyone will not be happy with whatever the outcome is but that’s life. I suspect that re-entry into the EU would prove too strong a pull and an eventual migration from disgruntled people living south of the border (yes it does exist) as well as people from EU countries will make Scotland a place where a future can be looked on with enthusiasm. The break up of the UK is necessary for Scotland to gain her proper place in the world.
‘…for Scotland to gain her proper place in the world.’
Ah, the doctrine of manifest destiny… Another ghost that haunts us from our imperial past.
What other countries talk about their ‘proper place in the world’?
Perhaps the ones who extricated themselves from the” British Empire”
Signed/sínithe
‘Europe reaches out to welcome an independent Scotland.’
Not quite. A couple of hundred – far from typical – individuals do so. Of the 40 names that I recognize, only one surprizes me a little; David Edgerton, the iconoclastic
historian. Most of the others support a version of European unity which suffers from a huge democratic deficit. (Yes, I understand they would campaign to eliminate this deficit. Unfortunately, the people who count in Europe, Merkel and Macron, are not interested.) For some, like Fintan O’Toole, Europe amounts to a secular religion.
As Mike Small notes many of the signatories are award winning ‘cultural figures.’ I am more than a bit skeptical about taking a lead from such people. Why them rather than Steven Gerrard and Brendan Rodgers ? It all looks rather elitist.
‘Elitist’? No.
Like all celebrity endorsements, the list has been compiled with a particular audience in mind. In this case, the list is targeted at ‘liberal’ (in the American sense) consumers in the culture market.
It’s all to do with branding and customer aspirations. Footballing celebrities tend to be used more to promote consumption among those who aspire to a ‘working class’ identity, football being traditionally a ‘working class’ game.
They could never appeal to the working classes in the same way our own dear, cuddly, one-nation Tory party do. Could they Colin?
Forgot my signature
If Scotland votes NO and Ireland votes YES disgruntled loyalists will be offered generous packages to relocate to the British colony of Scotland thus ensuring a unionist majority there until 1691. THE HORDES ARE COMING.
I can’t see how the Tory brand speaks at all to those who aspire to a ‘working class’ identity. Maybe it doesn’t intend to; maybe the marketing strategy is to appeal to the hopes and fears of those who aspire to a ‘middle class’ identity, to the mass of so-called ‘Middle Scotland’ with its CUVs and mortgages.
Vote the ‘wrong’ way and you can have another go….vote the ‘right’ way set in stone for eternity.
Democracy…. EU style.
Democracy UK style.
If Scotland votes NO and Ireland votes YES disgruntled loyalists will be offered generous packages to relocate to the British colony of Scotland thus ensuring a unionist majority there until 1691. Scotland – a green beacon of renewable energy OR a ghettoised dumping ground for Eton toff problems of their own making. It’s your choice.
“More than 200 leading writers, artists and thinkers from every EU member state have signed a letter to the EU leadership calling for Scotland to be unilaterally offered generous terms for re-entry to the EU“
I doubt the EU could easily offer terms any more generous than those that recent and current applicants enjoy.
In any case, the only way that the EU could be generous would be to relax existing standards – its hard to explain to other countries why Scotland should get an easier deal than they did.
Does anyone else find it suspicious that, one week before an election, Scotland suddenly has the highest Covid infection rates? We’ve consistently had the lowest throughout the pandemic, locked down sooner than the other “UK” countries, opened up later and that hasn’t changed this time round. The Scottish govt has also made ALL airport arrivals quarantine in hotels while the English have only applied that to certain countries (India only joined that list very recently). So, are the figures being manipulated? There’s little doubt the English figures have been understated throughout but what of the others having lower rates?
There’s something about it that stinks. I might also add that the only time the mainstream media seem to show comparisons is when Scotland comes out worst (e.g. the initial vaccine rollout when Scotland concentrated on care homes).
I thought the list was notable by its absence of any CJEU lawyers or EU Commissioners or those in a notable position within the member states most likely to object to the unanimous decision required to meet new members.
The Scottish independence movement is notorious for producing these happy-clappy pronouncements that an independent Scotland will be welcome in the EU. But if were basing the breakaway and economic future of an entire country on it, I’d look for something a lot more reassuring than a bunch of pro-independence writers and actors saying its all going to be all right.
What we can do is deal in facts. An independent Scotland would be outwith the EU and the last White Paper on Independence promised only a “Scottish version of the ECHR”, not signing the ECHR itself. Why it is deemed necessary for Scotland to have a “Scottish version of the ECHR” and not simply sign it is worrying, but not entirely unexpected given the anti-fundamental rights and freedoms legislation that the Scottish Government is prone to passing (as well as the Court of Session deciding they know better than the Advocate-General of the CJEU with regards to minimum alcohol pricing.
Nowhere is there discussion of Scotland’s poor executive set up with incomplete scrutiny of legislation due to its weak unicameral structure – weak from the perspective of the separation of powers, which they are big on in Europe.
Nowhere is it mentioned that, even using the Accelerated Entry Procedure for the last expansion of the EU for the Eastern European member states (minus the Western Balkans), it still took 12 years from start to finish.
It is highly unlikely that the EU Commission would tolerate such anti-freedom legislation as Scotland currently has in some areas, likewise they would not be happy with the poor respect for its competition law policies here in Scotland. But in happy-clappy land, this is all overlooked because “special and unique circumstances” are imagined to apply to Scotland (this odd phrase appeared 12 times in the last White Paper on independence).
Dealing in facts, there is a great deal of law to be examined and changed in Scotland before it can even consider making an application to the Council of the EU for accession. At that stage, the EU Commission issues its detailed report on the 35 non-negotiable policy areas on which the EU acquis must be met by the applicant country needs to do just to be granted candidate status. Then and only then do the lengthy negotiations towards potential membership begin, which invariably take more than 12 years. The rule of law and human rights and fundamental freedoms are now tackled at the outset. At the moment, it would not be worth Scotland’s while applying – it would be knocked back on both economic and legal grounds. And countries which are tired of paying for small, poor countries are likely to object to yet another member being added. Particularly one which is unlikely to provide them with cheap labour via the Posted Workers Directive.
But all of this detail means nothing to the happy-clappy tribe…in Eutopia, if not the EU, everything is easy.
Oh dear what very muddled thinking
Scottish exceptionalism at its best,sorry but Scotland doesn’t deserve some sort of special treatment to be allowed into the EU
Basically Scotland has to get in line,get its deficit down,get it’s currency sorted,then apply,oh and don’t forget,you’d be signing up as good Europeans,not Scottish nationalist,as Europe has had a very unpleasant experience with nationalism in its past!
Oh one last thing,don’t ever mention Catalan independence ever,ever again otherwise the Spanish will almost certainly stop you,infact I’d,as a good European stop you trouble making nationalist from Scotland coming into my European Union as it could cause a catastrophic wave of secessionist across Europe to also want to break up their own respective countries,which would effectively destroy the EU which would no doubt please Mr Putin who seems to offer your former First Minister a propaganda platform payed for by the kremlin!
So please have your referendum and break up You’re own Union/ country but don’t come to the EU we have enough idiots especially from the far right trying to break things up as things stand
Good to see this but it muse the assumed Scots will still hold the view they want to join the EU?
Translation?
Sorry not very good with the typing it definitely must not be assumed Scots would want a Independent Scotland to join the EU. Incidentally, a lady from Castile I know is adamant that Spain would never allow Scotland to join as it would undermine the Spanish State.
That may not be the prevailing view in Spain but a lot of Spaniards need convincing about it and it will be a difficult decision for whichever Spanish Government is in power at the time.
It shouldn’t be assumed and should be voted for but the overwhelming number of Scots voted to remain and that’s unlikely to change. The myth of the Spanish veto has been debunked hundreds of times. I will try and find the energy to dig out the many examples.
In what way is it a myth? Unanimity of all existing member states is required for any new membership applicant, so not just Spain but any other existing EU member state has a veto. Its laid down quite clearly in existing EU law, including TEU Article 49.
What is a myth is that an independent Scotland would be able to join without being accepted and completing a lengthy accession process, after arranging its economy, legal system and executive so that became compliant with the requirements of EU membership (which they are not at present).
I appreciate the comment was based on anecdotal evidence but you’re certainly wrong if you don’t appreciate the strength of feeling in Spain. There are those there who want the Catalan leaders to be treated very harshly. Most Spaniards are deeply patriotic and a large percentage see the Catalan separatists as traitors. Any Spanish politician that ignores these feelings would be unwise.