By Mario Saavedra
At different times in history it has been Athens, Venice and Milan. Today it’s São Paulo, Shanghai, Istanbul and Barcelona: large cities that sign international diplomatic agreements directly with other governments, either local or national, without necessarily going through their capital city. Mayors or governors have thus become the new diplomats.
The Queen has announced it: there will be a referendum on the UK´s EU membership no later than 2017. There is no way back. The question the British voters will be called upon to answer according to Downing Street is crystal clear: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?” It reflects the best British tradition of boldness and un-ambiguity – features that are certainly absent from the European integration process, built on grand pronouncements, half-baked solutions and lack of clarity for the citizen.
