Foreign affairs

Britain, the EU and the USA
Charles Moore 
John O'Sullivan CBE 

With the speakers; Charles Moore, former Editor of The Daily Telegraph and John O’Sullivan, CBE, political commentator and journalist

President Václav Klaus addresses the Bruges Group
President Václav Klaus 

The President of the Czech Republic, Václav Klaus, spoke to the Bruges Group on 'European Integration Without Illusions'. President Klaus is Europe’s leading statesman opposing European centralisation. He argues that, ‘The manifestations of transnational progressivism—global governance and the European Union—are supplanting liberal democracy and nation-states and driving us into the stage of post-democracy'

Excessive Governance and the Suffocation of Britain
Professor Kenneth Minogue 

The European Union and the international bureaucratic class is a deadweight around the UK suffocating inventiveness, economic growth and snuffing out prosperity. The author and academic Professor Kenneth Minogue spoke at this meeting on Excessive Governance and the Suffocation of Britain

The Political Economy, the Financial Crisis and Anglo-American Strategy
Andrew Roberts 
Dr Irwin Stelzer 

Historian and broadcaster Andrew Roberts spoke alongside Dr Irwin Stelzer who is a respected economic and political commentator

Europe, America and Democracy
John O'Sullivan CBE 

John O'Sullivan founder and Co-Chairman of the New Atlantic Initiative and Executive Editor of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty discused Europe, America and Democracy

Are the British a Servile People? Idealism and the EU
Professor Kenneth Minogue 

In this paper it is explained how successive British governments have surrendered our democracy to layers of international bureaucracy which have acquired completely unaccountable power over our legal, political, economic and social decisions. At the heart of the matter, Professor Minogue argues, is the curious form of idealism that disdains pride in Britain and British culture, preferring to give allegiance to a far more vaguely defined ideology of internationalism. This rejection of national sovereignty, and the subsequent embracing of unaccountable transnational institutions, as advocated by our political establishment, has led to the British people submitting to more and more authority which comes dressed as virtue

The Principles of British Foreign Policy
Philip Vander Elst 

Should British foreign policy reflect any political and moral principles or should it merely be shaped by current conceptions of national self-interest, which may change from decade to decade? Does Britain have any particular long term or permanent interests as a nation state or are we living in an age so radically different from previous ones that none of the assumptions and traditions of the past have any relevance today? Has Britain's foreign policy traditionally had a special pattern to it that makes it unlike the foreign policy of other countries?

Lost Illusions: British Foreign Policy
Ian Milne 

The lessons of the last sixty years are that the UK should re-think its fraught entanglement with the EU. Britain cannot simultaneously pursue pro-American and pro-EU policies: the two are mutually-exclusive

Luke Johnson and Dr Irwin Stelzer

Luke Johnson, the Chairman of Channel 4, and Dr Irwin Stelzer of The Times and the Hudson Institute spoke to the Bruges Group on Wednesday, 24th May

The Founding and Future of the European Union: The importance for America
Sally McNamara 

Britain and the USA should promote the common values – of limited government, free trade, free markets and individual liberty. However, the EU is going in completely the opposite direction to this – which is damaging for Europe and damaging for the Transatlantic Alliance

A Bad Constitution - Bad for Europe and Bad for America
Sally McNamara 

Sally McNamara, EU Project Director of the American Legislative Exchange Council, comments on the implications of the EU Constitution for the United States of America

Circle of Barbed Wire
Bernard Connolly 

What is the meaning of the “constitution” of something resembling a new Soviet Union in Europe that was presented to EU bosses at the end of June? How do its antecedents shape predictions about how it will operate? Why is Tony Blair so keen on promoting it? What will be its impact on Britain and on the “new Europe” drawn from the debris of the original Soviet Union and its satellites? And how will it affect the operation of international capital markets and of the world economic system?

Fahrenheit E1 11
Robert Oulds 

The EU's Common Agricultural Policy and French-inspired aggressive trade practices, such as the dumping of sugar on the world market is according to Michael Moore "literally killing people in the third world. In fact it is killing more people than all of Dubya's bombs"

European Problems and Their Non-Solutions
President Václav Klaus 

Václav Klaus, the President of the Czech Republic, speaking to the Bruges Group. Let us move to Europe of economic freedom, to Europe of small and non-expanding government, to Europe without state paternalism, to Europe without pseudomoralizing political correctness, to Europe without intellectual snobbism and elitism, to Europe without supranational, all-continental ambitions

Galileo: The Military and Political Dimensions
Dr Richard North 

The EU has ambitions to harness the key military technology of our age - the ability to use satellite-positioning technology, which has revolutionised military operations, making possible the development of high-accuracy all-weather weapons targeting and enhanced command and control systems. This will give the EU a greater role on the world stage but at what price to the Trans-Atlantic Alliance? Furthermore, the EU’s courting of business partners, in particular the People’s Republic of China could also threaten world peace

Welcoming the ten accession states

We take no pleasure at all in welcoming the countries that more than ten years ago courageously defeated Communism into another, though not so oppressive, supranational, centralised, over-regulated, over-bureaucratised state

The headline says it all
Dr Helen Szamuely 

Dr Helen Szamuely looks at the emerging links between the EU and China and exposes the fact that France is turning a blind eye to Chinese human rights abuses

The Fate of Britain's National Interest
Professor Kenneth Minogue 

In the first of the Bruges Group's A New World Order: What Role for Britain? papers Professor Minogue argues that national interest are being undermined by two factors: the "Olympian" attitude of legal activists and international bureaucrats, backed by academics who wish to create a new international order that would not be accountable or responsible to anyone except those who run it and by the supposedly supranational but really ersatz-national European Union. As a result of this dual development Britain and Britishness may fade away

Galileo - implications for the United States
Dr Richard North 

An assessment of the latest development in the EU's Great Game. In conjunction with some unsavoury business partners with appalling human rights records, most notably China, the European Union is pushing ahead with the Galileo satellite navigation system. Allowing other states to have control of this technology will be a major blow to America’s pre-eminence and will boost the military capabilities of potential enemies of the United States and its allies.

Byzantine Europe
Robert Oulds 

The EU's world view and international ambitions will create a world where big brother knows best. Their supranationalism dictates that cordial deals should be struck with tyrants. It dictates that international relations should not be a matter governed by the democratically elected governments of nation-states. Instead international affairs, and subsequently every other matter, should be handed to supranational institutions and regional blocks

Europe's "civic virtue" Or Where do we stand on the ethical foreign policy?
Dr Helen Szamuely 

The mysterious disappearance of the EU's ethical foreign policy

The EU Constitution and the UK's Role in Europe and the World: International Conference 2003
Lord Blackwell 
Christopher Booker 
Hynek Fajmon MP 
Ruth Lea 
Barry Legg 

Britain is approaching decision time. Will Britain follow a free and global future or become an EU Province? This International Conference focused on the EU Constitution and the UK's Role in Europe and the World

Just how wide is that rift?
Dr Helen Szamuely 

What is happening between Europe and America? Dr Helen Szamuely looks at developments in the Western Alliance

The New World After Iraq: The Continuing Threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction

Speech by John R. Bolton, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security United States Department of State, to the Bruges Group, London, 30th October, 2003

Speech by Lord Lamont in Sweden against the euro
The Rt Hon. Lord Lamont of Lerwick 

Extracts from a Speech by Lord Lamont, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, speaking to Citizens Against EMU in The Skandia Hall, Parliament Building, Stockholm on Monday 1st September 2003

Estonia faces the EU propaganda barrage
Roger Helmer MEP 

Roger Helmer discusses the European Union's and the German Embassy's undue influence in Estonia's EU accession debate

"Engagement" with the axis of evil a.k.a. the European common foreign policy
Dr Helen Szamuely 

The Common Foreign and Security Policy will split up the Western alliance that had fought Communism and should now be fighting the new threat: terrorism

It's the constitution, stupid ... I think
Dr Helen Szamuely 

Dr Helen Szamuely takes a look at the international developments following on from Tony Blair's visit to Eastern Europe

Agreement in Athens
Dr Helen Szamuely 

The signing of the treaty in Athens, paving the way for the enlargement of the European Union in 2004, was not the great occasion that it was hyped up to be

Defence, Iraq and the future of Europe
Roger Helmer MEP 

Roger Helmer, MEP speaks on enlargement, the future of Europe, plus Iraq and the Common Foreign and Defence Policy.

Help make Estonia's EU accession referendum fair
Robert Oulds 

Help counter the EU propaganda aimed at undermining Estonia's liberal economy and sovereign constitutional independence

Well, what were those marches about? (And will they affect anything?)
Dr Helen Szamuely 

Peaceniks, the EU and Saddam - analysis of the international developments relating to the War on Terror

Old Europe and New
Dr Helen Szamuely 

The War on Terror has opened a fundamental division between the Franco-German axis and the other Europe

The USA - friend or foe?
Roger Helmer MEP 

The left-wing anti-Americans in the European Parliament are wrong to despise the United States

The impotence of the EU superstate
Roger Helmer MEP 

As the EU fails to act effectively against the Mugabe regime and tackle the illegal French ban on British beef the emerging European superstate shows its impotence

Keep Sweden out as long as Britain stays out
Margit Gennser 

A new organisation "Medborgere mot EMU" ("Citizens against EMU") has been founded to present the centre-right case against Sweden joining the euro

European politicians speak-out to support the fight against EU propaganda

The Bruges Group's campaign against EU propaganda finds support on the Continent EMBARGOED UNTIL MIDNIGHT 19th June 2002

Euro disaster hits Germany
Roger Helmer MEP 

54% of Germans want the Deutschmark back and now dub the new currency the “teuro” from the German word “teuer” for expensive.

Interview in the Warsaw Business Journal
Robert Oulds 

The Director of the Bruges Group speaks to the Warsaw Business Journal and offers his advice to our Eurosceptic comrades in Poland.

Hungarian elections run their course
Dr Helen Szamuely 

The result of the Hungarian elections show that the EU's concerns were unfounded and that their interference in the democratic process of a nation-state was unwarranted.

Sweden’s Second-Best Solution
Margit Gennser 

In 2003 sweden will have a referendum on joining the euro, but as Margit Gennser points-out, euro membership will create major economic problems.

"European Integration" - an American Critiqué
Dr Irwin Stelzer 

The UK, the USA and the freeworld's political and economic interests are being undermined by the EU. Speech given to a meeting of the Bruges Group on Wednesday, 17th April, 2002. Discussing, 'The Economics of European Integration'.

Enlargement remains a weak option
Dr Helen Szamuely 

The EU has missed an historic opportunity to help those countries that have only just become liberated from the Soviet sphere of influence.

Hungarian elections unaffected by hysterical EU warnings
Dr Helen Szamuely 

The failed attempts of the left-leaning European Union to interfere in Hungary's democratic process proves its bias agains centre-right parties and demonstrates that it has little respect for democracy when the people make the 'wrong' choice.

Statecraft
Robert Oulds 

Baroness Thatcher has dramatically moved forward the boundaries of the European debate

The European Union's anti-Americanism and the EU's latest grab for power
The Rt Hon. John Redwood MP 

Britain must make a choice: Europe or America / more government or less. Extracts of an address to the Bruges Group on Wednesday, 13th March 2002.

Alternatives to the EU
Dr Anthony Coughlan 
Professor Christie Davies 
Margit Gennser 
Roger Helmer MEP 
Dr Brian Hindley 
Dr John Hulsman 
HE the Rt Hon. Don McKinnon 
Professor Ivar Raig 
Dr Helen Szamuely 

This International Conference, always a major newsworthy event in the EU-sceptic calendar, was intended to further push forward the boundaries of debate regarding the European Union. It did not disappoint. The Conference not only criticised the push towards further integration but most importantly it promoted the positive alternatives, for Britain and the nation-states of Europe, to membership of the European Union. To this end the Bruges Group gathered together in London many influential and internationally renowned figures to discuss the positive, dynamic alternatives to the status quo, which are on offer. The conclusions of this event left everyone convinced that a free trade alternative model for Europe and the North Atlantic should be vigorously pursued.

September's political events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 17th September 2001 Terrorist attack on US | Election of Conservative Leader

Nice Treaty – Irish Referendum Result Vindicates Bruges Group

Dirty tricks from BiE and Irish PM's attacks on the Bruges Group's support for the ‘no’ campaign fail, as Irish reject the Nice Treaty. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9th June 2001

Danish vote: Bruges Group Vindicated!

Release date: 29th September 2000

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Eat the Pound: Online Game

Published Papers


Knife Edge: Montgomery and the Battle of the Bulge


Saying 'No' to the Single Market


Montgomery and the First War on Terror


UK’s risks and exposure to the EU


German Economic Policy and the Euro


A Lesson in Democracy


A Crisis of Trust


The City of London Under Threat


Cool Thinking on Climate Change


Are the British a Servile People?


The Costs of Regulation


The Principles of British Foreign Policy


Lost Illusions: British Foreign Policy


The Case for EFTA


Plan B For Europe


Will the EU's Constitution Rescue its Currency?


Galileo: The Military and Political Dimensions


The Fate of Britain's National Interest


Health and the Nation


Criminal Justice and the draft Constitution


Subsidiarity and the Illusion of Democratic Control


A Constitution to destroy Europe


Giscard d'Estaing's "Constitution": muddle and danger presented in absurd prolixity


Free Speech: The EU Version


Federalist Thought Control


Democracy In Crisis


European Union and the Politics of Culture


Britain and Europe: The Culture of Deceit


The Bank that rules Europe?


Conservative MEPs and the EPP: Time for Divorce


Bruges Revisited


Aiming for the Heart of Europe: A Misguided Venture


Is Europe Ready for EMU?


A Single European Currency: Why the United Kingdom must say 'No'


From Single Market to Single Currency