PHOTOSSERIES Liberal
PHOTOSSERIES Liberal leader Guy Verhofstadt shortly before a TV debate on 15 May. He was running for the EU commission presidency, a job eventually taken by the centreright’s Jean-Claude Juncker. Alex Salmond left politics after Scots voted No to independence in September 2014. He had been First Minister of Scotland since 2007. Photo: European Parliament Martin Schulz getting ready for an election debate on 15 May. Schulz was the Socialists’ frontrunner for the European Commission presidency. But the centre-right won the EU elections later that month. Photo: European Parliament Four PMs in a boat in Harpsund, Sweden (from L-R) Britain’s David Cameron, Germany’s Angela Merkel, Sweden’s Fredrik Reinfeldt and the Dutch Mark Rutte. British press later mocked Cameron for wearing a life vest. Photo: Bundesregierung/Bergmann Nigel Farage - his anti-EU Ukip party has seen a surge in popularity, winning its first seats in Westminister in 2014. Farage has made curbing immigration his main political issue. Photo: European Parliament Breaking up is hard to do Photo: EUobserver For a frenzied 72 hours of campaigning, the future of the United Kingdom was under threat. The 300 year old settlement binding together Scotland and England in danger of being torn up. Were Scots really about to kiss the Auld Enemy goodbye? The consequences for British politics would be profound. Scottish independence would force David Cameron out of Downing Street and cause an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Not to mention the question of whether Labour, which has traditionally held most of Scotland’s Westminster seats, could ever win another election without Scottish votes. Green MEP Ska Keller arriving by bike for an EU election debate on 15 May. She attracted a lot of attention for being a new face among the more familiar ones running for the EU commission top post. Photo: European Parliament Marine Le Pen - her farright National Front party came top in France’s EU elections. She is an admirer of Russia (her party has borrowed from a Kremlin-linked bank) and dislikes the EU. Photo: mlp By Benjamin Fox For a frenzied 72 hours of campaigning, the future of the United Kingdom was under threat. The 300-year old settlement binding together Scotland and England in danger of being torn up. A poll putting the Yes campaign marginally ahead, along with a string of others putting the campaign in a dead heat, prompted panic from Edinburgh to London. ALEX SALMOND In the event, the panic was unjustified. The pollsters were wrong. The 55-45 margin in favour of remaining in the Union was decisive. In the end, it was the charismatic Scottish National Party leader, Alex Salmond, who announced his resignation after the vote. Having been the dominant figure in Scottish politics for more than a decade, Salmond’s retirement will leave a void. But even defeat by a 10-point margin must still be counted as a triumph for Salmond. 32 ––––– Europe in review 2014 Europe in review 2014 ––––– 33
