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Library Note
Leaving the European Union: Profile of the EU27
On 29 March 2017, the UK formally notified the European Union of its intention to withdraw from its
membership by triggering Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. Under Article 50, the UK and
the EU will have two years to negotiate a withdrawal agreement (unless there is a unanimous decision
by the European Council, with the agreement of the UK, to extend this). A separate agreement may be
necessary to establish future relations between the UK and the EU.
In the notification letter from the Prime Minister, Theresa May, to Donald Tusk, the President of the
European Council, Mrs May suggested “some principles that we might agree to help make sure that the
process is as smooth and successful as possible”. Among these seven principles were that the
negotiations should be constructive and respectful “in a spirit of sincere cooperation”, that in negotiating “we should always put our citizens first” and that “we must pay attention to the UK’s unique
relationship with the Republic of Ireland and the importance of the peace process in Northern Ireland”.
Michel Barnier, a former European Commissioner, will negotiate on behalf of the EU. This will be based
on guidelines to be adopted by the European Council, which represents the member states, on
29 April 2017. A nine page document of draft guidelines was published across a number of media outlets
following a statement by Donald Tusk on 31 March 2017, which set out the next steps.
Ahead of these negotiations, this Lords Library briefing profiles each of the EU27 member states. It
provides information about their membership of the EU, the size of their economies, their trade in
goods and services with the UK and their populations, including, as an Appendix, the estimated number
of citizens from each EU member state residing in the UK, and the number of UK citizens residing in
each EU member state. It also provides a snapshot of the EU27 member states’ perspectives on the
UK’s departure from the EU, up until the point Article 50 was invoked by the UK. It does this by setting
out the key points made and issues raised by the current head of government/state (where possible) in
each of these countries, who in holding these positions are also members of the European Council (in
some cases other relevant figures, such as government ministers, are quoted). In focusing on the heads
of government/state, the briefing does not include the views of other political opinions in those
countries. Consequently, the briefing will not, therefore, fully capture the domestic political situation in
each of those countries. Additionally, the views expressed may not remain static as negotiations start
and develop. The governments of individual member states may change their views and positions, and/or personnel changes may take place in governments that affect these perspectives.
Charley Coleman | Hannah Cooper | Eren Waitzman
31 March 2017
LLN 2017/018
Table of Contents
1. Austria ............................................................................................................................................................ 1
2. Belgium ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
3. Bulgaria ........................................................................................................................................................... 5
4. Croatia ........................................................................................................................................................... 7
5. Cyprus ............................................................................................................................................................ 9
6. Czech Republic ........................................................................................................................................... 11
7. Denmark ...................................................................................................................................................... 13
8. Estonia .......................................................................................................................................................... 15
9. Finland .......................................................................................................................................................... 17
10. France......................................................................................................................................................... 19
11. Germany .................................................................................................................................................... 21
12. Greece ....................................................................................................................................................... 23
13. Hungary ..................................................................................................................................................... 25
14. Ireland ........................................................................................................................................................ 27 15. Italy ............................................................................................................................................................. 29
16. Latvia .......................................................................................................................................................... 32
17. Lithuania .................................................................................................................................................... 34
18. Luxembourg .............................................................................................................................................. 36
19. Malta ........................................................................................................................................................... 38
20. Netherlands .............................................................................................................................................. 40
21. Poland......................................................................................................................................................... 42
22. Portugal ...................................................................................................................................................... 44
23. Romania ..................................................................................................................................................... 46
24. Slovakia ...................................................................................................................................................... 48
25. Slovenia ...................................................................................................................................................... 50
26. Spain ........................................................................................................................................................... 52
27. Sweden ....................................................................................................................................................... 54
Appendix .......................................................................................................................................................... 56
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 1
1. Austria
EU Member Since: 1 January 1995
Population (2015): 8,576,261 (1.7 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 18
Currency: Euro
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €337.162 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 1 December 2007)1
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State2 Head of Government3
Name: Alexander Van Der Bellen (President) Christian Kern (Chancellor)
Appointment Mechanism: Directly elected by the electorate.
Determined by the majority coalition
parties in the Federal Assembly but
appointed by the President.
Term Length
(where defined):
6 years –
Last Election /
Appointment:
Since January 2017 (last elected 4
December 2016)
Since 17 May 2016
Lower House4 Upper House5
Name: Nationalrat / National Council Bundesrat / Federal Council
Members: 183 62
Appointment Mechanism: Directly elected in single-seat
constituencies under the proportional
representation voting system.
Members are appointed by state
parliaments. Each state receives three to
twelve seats in the Federal Council,
proportional to their population.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years 5 or 6 years
Last Election /
Appointment:
29 September 2013 –
1 European Union, ‘Austria’, accessed 22 March 2017. 2 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook: Austria’, accessed 22 March 2017. 3 ibid. 4 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Austria: Nationalrat (National Council)’, accessed 22 March 2017. 5 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Austria: Bundesrat (Federal Council)’, accessed 22 March 2017.
2 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 1: UK Exports to and Imports from Austria in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
On 13 February 2017, the Austrian Chancellor, Christian Kern, outlined his view on the UK’s
formal withdrawal from the EU. Following a meeting in Brussels with the European Commission
President, Jean-Claude Juncker, Mr Kern told reporters:
A member of a club must have better conditions than somebody who isn’t a member of
this club—our British friends must be aware that nothing else can come out of these
negotiations […] Everything else would be a capitulation by Europe.6
Later that month, Mr Kern also speculated as to the potential final bill that the UK may face
once it leaves the EU. In an interview with Bloomberg, he said “the check [sic] should be
around 60 billion euros”, and contended “that’s what the European Commission has calculated
and this will be part of the negotiations”.7
6 Ben Chapman, ‘Brexit: Britain Must Be Made Worse-off After Leaving EU, Says Austrian Chancellor’, Independent,
13 February 2017. 7 Boris Groendhal et al, ‘UK Faces 60 Billion Euro Brexit Bill, Austrian Leader Says’, Bloomberg Politics,
23 February 2017.
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House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 3
2. Belgium
EU Member Since: 1 January 1958
Population (2015): 11,258,434 (2.2 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 21
Currency: Euro
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €409.407 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 26 March 1995)8
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State9 Head of Government10
Name: King Philippe (Monarch) Charles Michel (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Hereditary Appointed by the monarch and approved
by Parliament. The Prime Minister is the
leader of the majority party or majority
coalition.
Term Length
(where defined):
– –
Last Election /
Appointment:
Since 21 July 2013 Since 11 October 2014
Lower House11 Upper House12
Name: Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers /
Chambre des Representants / Chamber
of Representatives
Senaat / Sénat / Senate
Members: 150 60
Appointment Mechanism: Members directly elected in multi-seat
constituencies by proportional
representation.
Mixed: 50 members directly elected in
multi-seat constituencies by proportional
representation. 10 members indirectly
elected by Community Parliaments
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years 5 years
Last Election /
Appointment:
25 May 2014 3 July 2014
8 European Union, ‘Belgium’, accessed 22 March 2017. 9 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook: Belgium’, accessed 22 March 2017. 10 ibid. 11 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Belgium: Chambre des Représentants (House of Representatives)’,
accessed 22 March 2017. 12 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Belgium: Sénat (Senate)’, accessed 22 March 2017.
4 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 2: UK Exports to and Imports from Belgium in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
In an interview with the Financial Times in July 2016, Belgium’s Prime Minister, Charles Michel,
called the referendum outcome “a very negative situation for the UK, there is no doubt”.13
Mr Michel also criticised the approach to EU negotiations by the UK Government in the
aftermath of the referendum, arguing that:
I’m only 40-years old but it’s the first time in my life that I’ve seen a democracy in a
situation like this […] [after] this decision there is de facto a form of black hole. What
comes last? They have not even the courage to lead and say, it’s this direction.14
13 Alex Barker and Jim Brunsden, ‘EU Will Not Help UK Out of ‘Black Hole’, Belgian Premier Warns’, Financial
Times (£), 8 July 2016. 14 ibid.
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House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 5
3. Bulgaria
EU Member Since: 1 January 2007
Population (2015): 7,202,198 (1.4 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 17
Currency: Bulgarian Lev
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €44.162 billion
Schengen Area Member: No15
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State16 Head of Government17
Name: Rumen Radev (President) At the time of writing, the country
was counting the results of the latest
election and therefore the Prime
Minister was unconfirmed.
Appointment Mechanism: Directly elected by an absolute
majority popular vote.
Elected by Members of the National
Assembly.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years 4 years
Last Election / Appointment: Since 22 January 2012 (last elected 6
and 13 November 2016)
6 March 2017
Unicameral18
Name: Narodno Sabranie / National Assembly
Members 240
Appointment Mechanism: Members elected to the Assembly from multi-seated constituencies under
proportional representation
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 5 October 2014
15 European Union, ‘Bulgaria’, accessed 22 March 2017. 16 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook: Bulgaria’, accessed 22 March 2017. 17 ibid. 18 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Bulgaria: Narodno Sabranie (National Assembly)’, accessed
27 March 2017.
6 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 3: UK Exports to and Imports from Bulgaria in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Responding to the outcome of the UK referendum, the then Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Boyko
Borisov, contended that the result “marked a bad day for Europe”.19 Discussing the future of
the EU without the UK, Mr Borisov stated that:
From now on the EU must show that it can do without Britain […] and we have to start
thinking about Europe without them. Any negotiations about a special status should not
be held because they will break the union apart.20
19 Sofia News Agency, ‘UK’s Brexit Vote Marks ‘Bad Day for Europe’, Bulgarian PM Borisov Says’, 24 June 2016. 20 ibid.
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House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 7
4. Croatia
EU Member Since: 1 July 2013
Population (2015): 4,225,316 (0.8 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 11
Currency: Croatian Kuna
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €43.897 billion
Schengen Area Member: No21
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State22 Head of Government23
Name: Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
(President)
Andrej Plenković (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Directly elected by an absolute
majority popular vote.
Approved by the Assembly. The
Prime Minister is the leader of the
majority party or majority coalition.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years 4 years
Last Election / Appointment: Since 19 February 2015 (last elected
28 December 2014 and 11 January
2015)
Since 19 October 2016
Unicameral24
Name: Hrvatski Sabor / Assembly
Members: 151
Appointment Mechanism: Each member of the Hrvatski Sabor is directly elected by proportional
representation using the D’Hondt method25 with a five percent threshold:
14 seats are allocated in each of ten districts; eight seats in a single
nationwide district for minorities; and three seats in a single special district
for Croatian diaspora.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 11 September 2016
21 European Union, ‘Croatia’, accessed 22 March 2017. 22 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook: Croatia’, accessed 22 March 2017. 23 ibid. 24 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Croatia: Hrvatski Sabor (Croatian Parliament)’, accessed 27 March
2017. 25 The d’Hondt system is one which uses the highest average method, whereby a party's vote total is divided by a
certain figure which increases as it wins more seats. For further information, visit: BBC News, ‘The d’Hondt
System Explained’, 28 November 1999.
8 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 4: UK Exports to and Imports from Croatia in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
On 11 October 2016, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, met with Croatia’s President, Kolinda
Grabar-Kitarovic in Downing Street. Following the meeting, Ms Grabar-Kitarovic stated that
the UK’s decision to leave the EU was a “great shock” and a “wake-up call” to the remaining
27 member states in the Union.26 Regarding the final agreement between the UK and EU,
President Grabar-Kitarovic stated:
It will be a process like no other with far reaching consequences—its final scope no one
can predict with absolute certainty. It is not only about trading arrangements and access
to the EU's single market […] it is also about preserving our joint and unique culture,
our decades of strategic partnership and our commitment to the same shared values.
This relationship needs to be tailor-made.27
At a conference on the future of the EU on 22 March 2017, Andrej Plenkovic, the Croatian
Prime Minister, expressed caution about the idea of a “multi-speed” Europe.28 With regard to
the UK, he added that analyses showed that “Croatia would be least affected by Brexit but it
would nevertheless feel it just as all the countries will”.
26 Adela Suliman, ‘Brexit to be Difficult Process Like No Other—Croatia President’, Reuters, 12 October 2016. 27 ibid. 28 Government of the Republic of Croatia, ‘PM Plenkovic: We Must Not Fall into the Trap of Multi-speed Europe’,
22 March 2017.
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House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 9
5. Cyprus
EU Member Country Since: 1 May 2004
Population (2015): 847,008 (0.2 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 6
Currency: Euro
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €17.421 billion
Schengen Area Member: No29
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State30
Name: Nicos Anastasiades (Head of State and Government)
Appointment Mechanism: Directly elected by an absolute majority popular vote
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years
Last Election / Appointment: Since 28 February 2013 (last elected 17 and 24 February 2013)
Unicameral31
Name: Vouli Antiprosopon / House of Representatives
Members: 80
Appointment Mechanism: Members of the House of Representatives are directly elected by the
proportional representation voting system.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years
Last Election / Appointment: 22 May 2016
29 European Union, ‘Cyprus’, accessed 22 March 2017. 30 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook: Cyprus’, accessed 22 March 2017. 31 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Cyprus: Vouli Antiprosopon (House of Representatives)’, accessed
27 March 2017.
10 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 5: UK Exports to and Imports from Cyprus in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Following the referendum, a spokesman for the Cypriot Government stated that the EU’s aim
should be to facilitate “the smoothest possible exit of the United Kingdom from the European
Union”.32 In regards to the bilateral relations between the UK and Cyprus, the Cypriot
Government further noted that:
The excellent bilateral relations and the unbreakable friendly ties that connect the
Republic of Cyprus and the United Kingdom existed before the accession of the two
countries to the EU. The two countries are also connected through their membership
to the Commonwealth, a cooperation that exists for decades.
The Republic of Cyprus will work to further enhance and deepen its relations with the
United Kingdom. In this context, we look forward to strengthening our existing close
cooperation, so that the interests of the two countries and their peoples are, inter alia,
fully ensured, on the basis of the new conditions created.33
32 Cypriot Government’s Press and Information Office, ‘Written Statement of the Government Spokesman on the
Result of the British Referendum’, 24 June 2016. 33 ibid.
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House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 11
6. Czech Republic
EU Member Since: 1 May 2004
Population (2015): 10,538,275 (2.1 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 21
Currency: Czech Koruna
Gross Domestic Product (2005): €163.947 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 21 December 2007) 34
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State35 Head of Government36
Name: Miloš Zeman (President) Bohuslav Sobotka (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Directly elected by an absolute
majority popular vote.
The Prime Minister is appointed by
the President.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years 4 years
Last Election / Appointment: Since 8 March 2013 (last elected 25
and 26 January 2013)
Since 17 January 2014
Lower House37 Upper House38
Name: Poslanecka Snemovna / Chamber of
Deputies
Senat / Senate
Members: 200 81
Appointment Mechanism: Directly elected in multi-seat
constituencies by the proportional
representation voting system.
Directly elected in single-seat
constituencies by an absolute
majority vote.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years 6 years
Last Election / Appointment: 25 and 26 October 2013 7 and 8 & 14 and 15 October 2016
34 European Union, ‘Czech Republic’, accessed 22 March 2017. 35 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook: Czech Republic’, accessed 22 March 2017. 36 ibid. 37 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Czech Republic: Poslanecka Snemovna (Chamber of Deputies)’,
accessed 27 March 2017. 38 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Czech Republic: Senat (Senate)’, accessed 27 March 2017.
12 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 6: UK Exports to and Imports from the Czech Republic in Goods and
Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Reacting to the UK’s referendum result, the Czech Prime Minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, called on
the EU to agree the UK’s exit “quickly and rationally”.39 He also contended that the EU “must
change quickly” and that it must “be more ready to act, be flexible, less bureaucratic and much
more sensible to the diversity that the 27 member states represent”.40
39 Jason Hovet, ‘Czech Prime Minister Says EU Must Change Quickly After Brexit’, Reuters, 24 June 2016. 40 ibid.
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House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 13
7. Denmark
EU Member Since: 1 January 1973
Population (2015): 5,659,715 (1.1 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 13
Currency: Danish Krone
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €266.244 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 25 March 2001)41
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State42 Head of Government43
Name: Queen Margrethe II (Monarch)
Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Prime
Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Hereditary The Prime Minister is appointed by
the monarch and is usually the leader
of the majority party or majority
coalition.
Term Length
(where defined):
– 4 years
Last Election / Appointment: Since 14 January 1972 Since 28 June 2015
Unicameral44
Name: Folketinget / People’s Assembly
Members: 179
Appointment Mechanism: Members are directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional
representation.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 18 June 2015
41 European Union, ‘Denmark’, accessed 22 March 2017. 42 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook: Denmark’, accessed 22 March 2017. 43 ibid. 44 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Denmark: Folketinget (The Danish Parliament)’, accessed 27 March
2017.
14 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 7: UK Exports to and Imports from Denmark in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
On 17 January 2017, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, made a speech outlining the UK’s
negotiating objectives for leaving the EU. In response to those comments, the Danish Prime
Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, said that Denmark was prepared to cooperate with the UK in
negotiating a new agreement with the EU. Mr Rasmussen stated that:
If the UK wants to completely pull out and have a proper trade agreement, then we
need to look at it. From a Danish perspective, we want to enter into this [the
negotiations] constructively. We have an enormous interest in cooperating with the UK
on trade, combating terror and education in one another’s countries.45
45 The Local DK, ‘Danish PM Urges ‘Constructive’ Approach to UK’s Hard Brexit’, 17 January 2017.
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House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 15
8. Estonia
EU Member Since: 1 May 2004
Population (2015): 1,313,271 (0.3 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 6
Currency: Euro
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €20.461 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 21 December 2007) 46
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State47 Head of Government48
Name: Kersti Kaljulaid (President)
Jüri Ratas (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: The President is elected by
Parliament.
The Prime Minister is nominated by
the President and approved by
Parliament.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 10 October 2016 (last elected
3 October 2016)
23 November 2016
Unicameral49
Name: Riigikogu / Parliament
Members: 101
Appointment Mechanism: Members are directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional
representation.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 1 March 2015
46 European Union, ‘Estonia’, accessed 22 March 2017. 47 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook: Estonia’, accessed 22 March 2017. 48 ibid. 49 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Estonia: Riigikogu (The Estonian Parliament)’, accessed 27 March
2017.
16 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 8: UK Exports to and Imports from Estonia in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Speaking following a meeting with the EU’s Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, in December
2016, Estonia’s President, Kersti Kaljulaid, outlined Estonia’s view of the UK leaving the EU. In a
press release, Ms Kaljulaid stated that Estonia “respects the results of the referendum” and that
it was “important for the negotiations to end successfully and for the European Union to
remain united”.50
Prime Minister Jüri Ratas has said that “a close relationship” between the UK and the EU was
“a matter of common interest”, adding that the UK was “and will remain an important
European country in both political and economic terms and an essential partner in the field of
security. However, there are no benefits without responsibilities—access to the internal
market is linked to full acceptance of the four fundamental freedoms”.51
50 Office of the President of Estonia, ‘News in Pictures: President Kaljulaid Met with the EU’s Chief Brexit
Negotiator Michel Barnier’, 20 December 2016. 51 Republic of Estonia Government, ‘Prime Minister Ratas: It is Essential to Maintain the Unity of the EU and to
Achieve a Fair Deal with the UK’, 20 December 2016.
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House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 17
9. Finland
EU Member Country Since: 1 January 1995
Population (2015): 5,471,753 (1.1 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 13
Currency: Euro
Gross Domestic Product (2005): €207.220 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 25 March 2001)52
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State53 Head of Government54
Name: Sauli Niinistö (President)
Juha Sipilä (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: The President is directly elected by
absolute majority popular vote.
The Prime Minister is appointed by
Parliament.
Term Length
(where defined):
6 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 1 March 2012 (last elected 5
February 2012)
Since 29 May 2015
Unicameral55
Name: Eduskunta - Riksdagen / Parliament
Members: 200
Appointment Mechanism: Mixed: 199 members directly elected in single and multi-seat constituencies
by proportional representation. The remaining seat in the province of Aland
is directly elected by majority vote.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 19 April 2015
52 European Union, ‘Finland’, accessed 22 March 2017. 53 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook: Finland’, accessed 22 March 2017. 54 ibid. 55 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Finland: Eduskunta—Riksdagen (Parliament)’, accessed 27 March
2017.
18 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 9: UK Exports to and Imports from Finland in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Responding to the UK’s decision to formally withdraw from the EU, Finnish President Sauli
Niinistö described the move as a “serious blow” to the EU.56 Mr Niinistö contended that:
Although it does not yet pose a threat to the Union, it must be taken seriously. One of
the strong messages is that people throughout the EU often have little trust even in
their own leaders, let alone the EU. This problem is not confined to Britain, but is also
taking hold on the continent. If it is allowed to worsen, it will become a genuine threat
to the Union and thereby to all of us.57
In regards to future relations between the two countries, the Finnish President stated:
Britain will remain an important partner for the EU and Finland, even after Brexit. We
hope that our relations remain close and strong. This is not just an economic issue.
Britain’s strong and positive input will continue to be needed in terms of foreign and security policy as well.58
In October 2016, Prime Minister Juha Sipila outlined what he hoped would feature in the EU’s
negotiating position. He said: “I think the security aspect could be another element in the
(Brexit) agreement. For example, if the (EU’s) solidarity clause would cover Britain, that would
of course have value in these discussions”.59
56 President of the Republic of Finland, ‘President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö’s Speech at the Ambassador
Seminar on 23 August 2016’, 23 August 2016. 57 ibid. 58 President of the Republic of Finland, ‘President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö’s Speech at the Ambassador
Seminar on 23 August 2016’, 23 August 2016. 59 Tuomas Forsell and Jussi Rosendahl, ‘Finland Wants Security Cooperation to be Part of Brexit Talks: PM’,
Reuters, 19 October 2016.
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10. France
EU Member Since: 1 January 1958
Population (2015): 66,415,161 (13.1 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 74
Currency: Euro
Gross Domestic Product (2005): €2.184 trillion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 26 March 1995)60
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State61 Head of Government62
Name: François Hollande (President)
Bernard Cazeneuve (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Directly elected by an absolute
majority popular vote in two rounds
(if needed).
The Prime Minister is appointed by
the President.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 15 May 2012 (last elected 22
April 2012 and 6 May 2012)
Since 6 December 2016
Lower House63 Upper House64
Name: Assemblée Nationale / National
Assembly
Sénat / Senate
Members: 577 348
Appointment Mechanism: Members of the Assemblée
Nationale are directly elected by
absolute majority in two rounds.
Members of the Sénat are indirectly
elected by departmental electoral
colleges using absolute majority
voting in two rounds if needed.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years 6 years
Last Election / Appointment: 10 and 17 June 2012
28 September 2014
60 European Union, ‘France’, accessed 22 March 2017. 61 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook: France’, accessed 22 March 2017. 62 ibid. 63 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: France: Assemblée Nationale (National Assembly)’, accessed
27 March 2017. 64 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: France: Sénat (Senate)’, accessed 27 March 2017.
20 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 10: UK Exports to and Imports from France in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
In October 2016, French President Francois Hollande warned the UK that there would be
consequences for leaving the EU. He stated that “there must be a threat, there must be a risk,
there must be a price, otherwise we will be in negotiations that will not end well and, inevitably,
will have economic and human consequences”.65
In addition, Mr Hollande warned that there would need to be consequences for the UK,
otherwise “other countries or other parties will be minded to leave the European Union in
order to have the supposed benefits and no downsides or rules”.66
The first round of the French presidential election is due to be held on 23 April 2017, with a
second round run-off between the two remaining candidates fixed for 7 May 2017.
Mr Hollande, the current President, is not running for a second term.67
65 Angelique Chrisafis, ‘UK Must Pay Price for Brexit, Says François Hollande’, Guardian, 7 October 2017. 66 ibid. 67 BBC News, ‘French Election 2017: Everything You Need to Know’, 20 March 2017.
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11. Germany
EU Member Since: 1 January 1958
Population (2015): 81,197,537 (16 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 96
Currency: Euro
Gross Domestic Product (2005): €3.026 trillion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 26 March 1995) 68
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State69 Head of Government70
Name: Frank-Walter Steinmeier (President) Angela Merkel (Chancellor)
Appointment Mechanism: The President is elected by the
members Federal Parliament
(Bundestag) and 630 delegates
indirectly elected by the state
parliaments.
The Chancellor is indirectly elected
by absolute majority by the Federal
Parliament for a 4-year term.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years 4 years
Last Election / Appointment: Last elected 12 February 2017 Since 22 November 2005 (last
elected 17 December 2013)
Lower House71 Upper House72
Name: Bundestag / Federal Diet
Bundesrat / Federal Council
Members: 631 69
Appointment Mechanism: Mixed: Members are directly elected
in multi-seat constituencies by
proportional representation vote.
Other members are also directly
elected in single-seat constituencies
by simple majority vote.
Members appointed by each of the
16 state governments.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years –
Last Election / Appointment: 22 September 2013 –
68 European Union, ‘Germany’, accessed 22 March 2017. 69 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook: Germany’, accessed 22 March 2017. 70 ibid. 71 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Germany: Deutscher Bundestag (German Bundestag)’, accessed
27 March 2017. 72 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Germany: Bundesrat (Federal Council)’, accessed 27 March 2017.
22 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 11: UK Exports to and Imports from Germany in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
In response to the UK’s decision to leave the EU, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, vowed
to keep the remainder of the EU together. On 18 January 2017, Ms Merkel told reporters that
“the be-all and end-all is that Europe doesn’t let itself be divided, and we will ensure this
through very intensive contacts”.73 She also said that, in the UK’s negotiations with the EU, she
would seek to prevent the UK from “cherry picking”, arguing that access to the single market
was bound with the four freedoms: the movement of goods, people, services and capital.74
German federal elections are due to take place by October 2017. Unless it is dissolved early, in
accordance with German Basic Law, 23 August 2017 is the earliest date on which the elections
could be held, the latest possible date would be 22 October 2017.75
73 Duncan Robinson and Stefan Wagstyl, ‘Angela Merkel Pledges to Block Brexit ‘Cherry Picking’’, Financial
Times (£), 18 January 2017. 74 ibid. 75 House of Lords Library, European Union in 2017: Background Information, 17 January 2017.
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12. Greece
EU Member Since: 1 January 1981
Population (2015): 10,858,018 (2.1 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 21
Currency: Euro
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €176.023 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 1 January 2000)76
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State77 Head of Government78
Name: Prokopios Pavlopoulos (President) Alexis Tsipras (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: The President is directly elected by
Parliament.
The Prime Minister is appointed by
the President and is usually the
leader of the majority party or
coalition in the Hellenic Parliament.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 13 March 2015 (last elected 18
February 2015)
Since 21 September 2015
Unicameral79
Name: Vouli Ton Ellinon / Parliament
Members: 300
Appointment Mechanism: Mixed: 288 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies
by proportional representation vote. 12 seats are filled from nationwide
party lists.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 20 September 2015
76 European Union, ‘Greece’, accessed 22 March 2017. 77 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook: Greece’, accessed 22 March 2017. 78 ibid. 79 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Greece: Vouli Ton Ellinon (Hellenic Parliament)’, accessed
27 March 2017.
24 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 12: UK Exports to and Imports from Greece in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Following the UK referendum outcome, the Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, blamed the
UK’s decision on “chronic deficiencies” of EU leaders and their policies on austerity.80 In a
statement to his party’s central committee on 26 June 2016, Mr Tsipras contended that:
As much as the decision of the British people saddens us, it is a decision to be
respected. We must not put the blame on the British people […] when the borders
remain open on austerity policies but stay closed for people.81
80 George Georgiopoulos, ‘Tsipras Blames Brexit on Austerity, Deficiencies in EU Leadership’, Reuters, 26 June
2016. 81 ibid.
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13. Hungary
EU Member Since: 1 May 2004
Population (2015): 9,855,571 (1.9 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 21
Currency: Hungarian Forint
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €108.748 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 21 December 2007)82
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State83 Head of Government84
Name: János Áder (President) Viktor Orbán (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Indirectly elected by Members of
National Assembly.
Elected by the National Assembly on
the recommendation of the
President.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 10 May 2012 (Last elected 2
May 2012)
Since 29 May 2010 (last elected
2014)
Unicameral85
Name: Országgyülés / National Assembly
Members: 199
Appointment Mechanism: Mixed Member Proportional System. First-past-the-post system for 106
constituency seats. Proportional representation for 93 members elected
under national lists.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 6 April 2014
82 European Union, ‘Hungary’, accessed 27 March 2017. 83 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Fact Book: Hungary’, accessed 27 March 2017. 84 ibid. 85 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Hungary: Országgyülés (National Assembly)’, accessed 27 March
2017.
26 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 13: UK Exports to and Imports from Hungary in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in an interview with the Telegraph in November 2016, expressed
his country’s strong interest in free trade, adding that “we Hungarians are in favour of a ‘fair’
Brexit”. He explained that “we wish success to the British”, adding that Hungary was “one of
the countries who will lose most from the British departure from the EU”. Mr Orban
contended that there was “obviously a life outside the European Union and if a sovereign nation
is so brave as to make that decision, then we wish them good luck”. He observed: “we are not
looking for a relationship with the British where it’s good for us, but you suffer, because you
‘deserve it’—which is the general approach of many countries—we want a relationship that is
good for us, and makes a success of Britain”.86
86 Peter Foster, ‘Viktor Orban Interview: Full Transcript’, Telegraph, 11 November 2016.
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14. Ireland
EU Member Since: 1 January 1973
Population (2015): 4,628,949 (0.9 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 11
Currency: Euro (since 1 January 1999)
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €214.623 billion
Schengen Area Member: No87
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State88 Head of Government89
Name: Michael Higgins (President) Enda Kenny (Taoiseach / Prime
Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Directly elected by majority popular
vote.
Nominated by the House of
Representatives (Dáil Eireann),
appointed by the President.
Term Length
(where defined):
7 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 11 November 2011 (last
elected 29 October 2011)
Since 9 March 2011 (last elected 6
May 2016)
Lower House90 Upper House91
Name: Dáil Éireann / House of
Representatives
Seanad Éireann / Senate
Members: 158 60
Appointment Mechanism: 40 multi-member (3 to 5 seats)
constituencies. Proportional
representation under the single
transferable vote system.
49 indirectly elected, 11 appointed.
Indirectly elected: includes 43
members elected by panels of
candidates and three members each
elected by the National University of
Ireland and the University of
Dublin. Appointed members:
appointed by the Prime Minister.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years 5 years
Last Election / Appointment: 26 February 2016 25 and 26 April 2016
87 European Union, ‘Ireland’, accessed 27 March 2017. 88 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Fact Book: Ireland’, accessed 27 March 2017. 89 ibid. 90 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Ireland: Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives)’, accessed
7 March 2017. 91 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Ireland: Seanad Éireann (Senate)’, accessed 27 March 2017.
28 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 14: UK Exports to and Imports from Ireland in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Following the UK’s vote to leave the EU, the Irish Government announced a range of
contingency plans in order to address the potential impacts of the withdrawal process.92 This included prioritising British-Irish relations, Northern Ireland, trade, investment, North-South
border impacts, competitiveness and macro–economic issues, research/innovation funding and
energy. In a statement on 17 January 2017, the Irish Government stated that it was “acutely”
aware of the possible risks to the Irish economy of Brexit, but that it was also aware of
potential “economic opportunities”, including in terms of mobile investment:
Bids for the EU agencies currently located in London—the European Medicines Board
and the European Banking Authority have already been announced and the State
enterprise agencies are actively pursuing opportunities for increased investment,
business and job creation in Ireland.93
On 23 January 2017, the Guardian also reported comments from the Irish Taoiseach, Enda
Kenny, stating that Ireland wanted a special provision in any ‘Brexit deal’ to allow Northern
Ireland to rejoin the EU should it be united with the Republic of Ireland:
In other words, that in such future time, whenever that might be, were it [reunification]
to occur, that the north of Ireland would have ease of access to join as a member of the
European Union again […] We want that language inserted into the negotiated treaty,
the negotiated outcome, whenever that might occur.94
92 Department of the Taoiseach, ‘Irish Government Brexit Contingency Plans Announced’, 24 June 2016. 93 Department of the Taoiseach, ‘Government Statement on Brexit’, 17 January 2017. 94 Daniel Boffey, ‘Irish Leader Calls for United Ireland Provision in Brexit Deal’, Guardian, 23 February 2017.
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15. Italy
EU Member Since: 1 January 1958
Population (2015): 60,795,612 (12 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 73
Currency: Euro (since 1 January 1999)
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €1.636 trillion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 26 October 1997)95
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State96 Head of Government97
Name: Sergio Mattarella (President) Paolo Gentiloni (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: President indirectly elected by an
electoral college consisting of both
houses of Parliament and 58 regional
representatives.
Appointed by the president,
confirmed by parliament.
Term Length
(where defined):
7 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 3 February (last elected 31
January 2015)
Since 12 December 2016
Lower House98 Upper House99
Name: Camera dei Deputati / Chamber of
Deputies
Senato della Repubblica / Senate
Members: 630 322
95 European Union, ‘Italy’, accessed 27 March 2017. 96 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Fact Book: Italy’, accessed 27 March 2017. 97 ibid. 98 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Italy: Camera dei Deputati (Chamber of Deputies)’, accessed
27 March 2017. 99 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Italy: Senato della Repubblica (Senate)’, accessed 27 March 2017.
30 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Lower House98 Upper House99
Appointment Mechanism: Proportional representation system
for 629 of 630 seats, using blocked
party lists for 617 of the 630
members elected from Italy and for
the 12 members elected by Italian
citizens overseas (first-past-the-post
system for the single-member
constituency in Valle d’Aosta).
Directly elected 315; appointed 5;
other 2. Proportional representation
system applying the d'Hondt method
to regional voting results for 302
seats. Proportional representation
system for the constituency for
Italians abroad representing four
geographical groups (six seats) (first-
past-the-post system for single-seat-
constituencies in Valle d’Aosta and
Trentino-Alto Adige (12 seats)). The
President of the Republic may
appoint five citizens. Other: ex-
officio member (former Presidents of
the Republic are ex officio Senators
and for life unless they renounce the
office).
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years 5 years
Last Election / Appointment: 24 and 25 February 2013 24 and 25 February 2013
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 15: UK Exports to and Imports from Italy in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
On 9 February 2017, the Italian Prime Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, took part in a joint press
conference with the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May. At that time, Mr Gentiloni said that,
whilst negotiations over the UK’s exit from the EU will not be easy, “there is absolutely no
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point at having a destructive negotiation between the EU and the UK”.100 He also stated that
this would be achieved through fostering unity among the remaining 27 members, and ensuring
this unity resulted “in the best possible agreement with the UK”.101 Mr Gentiloni also spoke
about reassuring citizens of both the UK and Italy that their acquired rights “will be respected
and there will be reciprocity, so there will be very fair treatment”.102 The Italian Prime Minister
also stated that cooperation between the UK and Italy on international issues should continue,
including with regard to NATO, and issues such as Libya and the migration crisis in the
Mediterranean.103
100 Prime Minister’s Office, ‘PM Press Conference with Italian Prime Minister Gentiloni: 9 February 2017’,
9 February 2017. 101 ibid. 102 ibid. 103 ibid.
32 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
16. Latvia
EU Member Since: 1 May 2004
Population (2015): 1,986,096 (0.4 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 8
Currency: Euro (since 1 January 2014)
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €24.378 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 21 December 2007)104
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State105 Head of Government106
Name: Raimonds Vējonis (President) Māris Kučinskis (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: President indirectly elected by
Parliament.
Appointed by the President,
confirmed by Parliament.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 8 July 2015 (last elected 3 June
2015)
Since 11 February 2016
Unicameral107
Name: Saeima / Parliament
Members: 100
Appointment Mechanism: 5 multi-member constituencies (from 13 to 32 seats each): Riga (which also
includes polling stations abroad), Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme, and Zemgale.
Proportional representation: Party-list system with preferential
voting. Electors vote for lists of candidates but can also indicate specific
support or rejection.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 4 October 2014
104 European Union, ‘Latvia’, accessed 27 March 2017. 105 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Fact Book: Latvia’, accessed 27 March 2017. 106 ibid. 107 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Latvia: Saeima (Parliament)’, accessed 27 March 2017.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 33
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 16: UK Exports to and Imports from Latvia in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
On 21 February 2017, the Latvian Prime Minister, Māris Kučinskis met with David Davis, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. A press release issued by the Latvian
Government following the meeting stated that Latvia hoped to develop further good relations
with the UK by strengthening bilateral cooperation and by continuing to cooperate in
multilateral formats. The release added that Latvia was also interested “in close cooperation between the Baltic, Nordic countries and the United Kingdom, including within the framework
of the Northern Future Forum”.108 In regard to the rights of citizens, Mr Kučinskis and
Mr Davis had “agreed that interests of the people who have left to work in the United
Kingdom cannot be affected [by Brexit]”.109 The press release concluded by highlighting the
importance of trade between the UK and Latvia.110
108 Latvian Cabinet of Ministers, ‘M Kučinskis and Brexit Minister Agree on Inviolability of Interests of Latvia’s
Residents Working in UK’, 21 February 2017. 109 ibid. 110 ibid.
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17. Lithuania
EU Member Since: 1 May 2004
Population (2015): 2,921,262 (0.6 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 11
Currency: Euro (since 1 January 2015)
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €37.124 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 21 December 2007)111
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State112 Head of Government113
Name: Dalia Grybauskaitė (President) Saulius Skvernelis (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: President directly elected by
absolute majority popular vote in
two rounds if needed.
Appointed by the President,
confirmed by Parliament.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 12 July 2009 (last elected 11
and 25 May 2014)
Since 13 December 2016
Unicameral114
Name: Seimas / Parliament
Members: 141
Appointment Mechanism: 71 single-member constituencies. One multi-member (70 seats) nationwide
constituency. Mixed electoral system. Single-member constituencies based
on a variant first-past-the-post system with run-off if thresholds are not
met. Party-list proportional representation system for multi-member
nationwide constituency.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 9 and 23 October 2016
111 European Union, ‘Lithuania’, accessed 27 March 2017. 112 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Fact Book: Lithuania’, accessed 27 March 2017. 113 ibid. 114 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Lithuania: Seimas (Parliament)’, accessed 27 March 2017.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 35
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 17: UK Exports to and Imports from Lithuania in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
On 15 December 2016, the Lithuanian President, Dalia Grybauskaitė, referred to the UK as a very important economic and security partner. In light of this, and a shared approach on “a
number of key foreign policy issues”, a press release from the President’s office stated that it
would be necessary to develop a model of cooperation between the EU and the UK which
would meet the interests of nationals of both parties.115 Dalia Grybauskaitė also stated that
Lithuania would act to protect the interests of its citizens:
The most important thing is to ensure fundamental freedoms and guarantees: the free
movement of persons, the right to work and health care, social guarantees, and a possibility to study and work in the UK.116
115 President of the Republic of Lithuania, ‘Lithuania Will Defend the Interests of its People in Brexit Negotiations’,
15 December 2016. 116 ibid.
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18. Luxembourg
EU Member Since: 1 January 1958
Population (2015): 562,958 (0.1 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 6
Currency: Euro (since 1 January 1999)
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €52.112 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 26 March 1995)117
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State118 Head of Government119
Name: Grand Duke Henri (Monarch) Xavier Bettel (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Hereditary Following elections to the Chamber
of Deputies, the leader of the
majority party or majority coalition
usually appointed prime minister by
the monarch.
Term Length
(where defined):
– –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 7 October 2000 Since 4 December 2013
Unicameral120
Name: Chambre des Députés / Chamber of Deputies
Members: 60
Appointment Mechanism: Four multi-member constituencies (23 seats for the South, 21 for the
Center, 9 for the North and 7 for the East). Party-list proportional
representation system, with seats allotted according to the Hagenbach-
Bishoff method. Under this system, political groups submit lists of
candidates, whose number may not exceed the number of seats to be filled
in the district.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years
Last Election / Appointment: 20 October 2013
117 European Union, ‘Luxembourg’, accessed 27 March 2017. 118 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Fact Book, ‘Luxembourg’, accessed 27 March 2017. 119 ibid. 120 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Luxembourg: Chambre des Députés (Chamber of Deputies)’,
accessed 27 March 2017.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 37
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 18: UK Exports to and Imports from Luxembourg in Goods and Services,
2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Speaking at a conference on 10 October 2016, the Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, reportedly said that being outside of the EU would have repercussions for ease of movement between the
member states of the EU and the UK:
Shutting the frontiers for a day would show people what it means to wait two hours to
get into Italy or Spain, to have controls everywhere, to block all exchanges. One day. So
that people see what it is to be outside Europe. It’s terrible what I’m saying, but it would
be good for people to understand. The UK wants to have its cake and eat it. Before,
they were in and they had many opt-outs; now they want to be out with many opt-ins.
We’re not on Facebook where there’s an ‘it’s complicated’ status.121
121 BBC News, ‘Brexit: Key Quotes from Non-UK Figures’, 12 October 2016.
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19. Malta
EU Member Since: 1 May 2004
Population (2015): 429,344 (0.1 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 6
Currency: Euro (since 1 January 2008)
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €8.796 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 21 December 2007)122
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State123 Head of Government124
Name: Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca Joseph Muscat (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: President indirectly elected by the
House of Representatives.
Following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or
majority coalition usually appointed
prime minister by the president.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years 5 years
Last Election / Appointment: Since 4 April 2014 (last elected 4
April 2014)
Since 11 March 2013
Unicameral125
Name: Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati / House of Representatives
Members: 65
Appointment Mechanism: 13 multi-member (five seats) constituencies (“divisions”). Single-
transferable-vote (STV). Four additional members elected in accordance
with the Constitution. Two additional members in accordance with the
2016 Constitutional Court decision. The Speaker may be designated from
outside parliament and becomes a member of parliament ex officio.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years
Last Election / Appointment: 9 March 2013
122 European Union, ‘Malta’, accessed 27 March 2017. 123 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Fact Book: Malta’, accessed 27 March 2017. 124 ibid. 125 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Malta: Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati (House of Representatives)’,
accessed 27 March 2017.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 39
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 19: UK Exports to and Imports from Malta in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Malta’s Minister for European Affairs and Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto, Louis
Grech, has stated that whilst Malta regretted the UK’s decision, it was determined to continue to have “excellent bilateral relations on many fronts”.126 The Maltese Government has also
stated that it expected to further strengthen its relations with the UK in home affairs and
defence.127 However, in January 2017, Joseph Muscat, Malta’s Prime Minister, observed that
whilst “the new [UK-EU] relationship might be better for that country on the global aspect” he
could not “imagine a situation where you leave a club, you leave Europe and you expect Europe
to give you a better deal than the one you had”.128
126 Government of Malta, ‘Press Release Issued by the Ministry for European Affairs and Implementation of the
Electoral Manifesto: Malta—UK Relations to Remain Strong After Brexit’, 28 September 2016. 127 Government of Malta, ‘Press Release Issued by the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security: UK—Malta
Home Affairs and Defence Relations to be Further Strengthened, Irrespective of Brexit’, 1 October 2016. 128 Toby Helm, ‘No Special Favours for UK in Brexit Deal, Says Maltese Prime Minister’, Observer, 29 January 2017.
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20. Netherlands
EU Member Since: 1 January 1958
Population (2015): 16,900,726 (3.3 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 26
Currency: Euro (since 1 January 1999)
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €678.572 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 26 March 1995)129
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State130 Head of Government131
Name: King Willem-Alexander (Monarch) Mark Rutte (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Hereditary Following Second Chamber
elections, the leader of the majority
party or majority coalition usually
appointed prime minister by the
monarch
Term Length
(where defined):
– –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 30 April 2013 Since 14 October 2010
Lower House132 Upper House133
Name: Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal
/ House of Representatives
Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal /
Senate
Members: 150 75
Appointment Mechanism: 18 multi-member constituencies.
Party-list system with proportional
representation.
Indirectly elected by 12 provincial
councils on a party-list system.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years 4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 15 March 2017 26 May 2015
129 European Union, ‘Netherlands’, accessed 27 March 2017. 130 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Fact Book: Netherlands’, accessed 27 March 2017. 131 ibid. 132 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Netherlands: Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (House of
Representatives)’, accessed 27 March 2017. 133 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Netherlands: Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal (Senate)’,
accessed 27 March 2017.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 41
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 20: UK Exports to and Imports from Netherlands in Goods and Services,
2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
On 19 January 2017, the Guardian reported that Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, had said the UK would pay a “huge price” for prioritising immigration controls over single market
membership.134 Mr Rutte also stated that the UK would potentially pay a “huge price” because
the economic growth rate of the UK will be impacted negatively by leaving “the biggest market
in the world”.135
During a debate at parliament in The Hague on 14 March 2017, the eve of the Dutch general
election, the Washington Post reported that Mark Rutte, had expressed doubt about the UK’s
Brexit optimism and suggested the UK was in for “potentially irreparable harm”.136 He added
that whilst the UK’s economic growth had remained good since the vote on the 23 June 2016,
this was only because the value of the pound had fallen.137 Following the general election on
15 March 2017, Mr Rutte remains the Dutch Prime Minister.138
134 Jon Henley, ‘UK Will Pay Huge Price for Prioritising Migration Curbs, says Dutch PM’, Guardian, 19 January
2017. 135 ibid. 136 Raf Casert, ‘Dutch Leader says Brexit Puts Britain in Deep Trouble’, Washington Post, 14 March 2017. 137 ibid. 138 BBC News, ‘Dutch Election: PM Rutte sees off anti-EU Wilders Challenge’, 15 March 2017.
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21. Poland
EU Member Since: 1 May 2004
Population (2015): 38,005,614 (7.5 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 51
Currency: Polish Złoty
Gross Domestic Product (2015): € 427.737 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 21 December 2007)139
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State140 Head of Government141
Name: Andrzej Duda (President) Beata Szydło (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: President directly elected by
absolute majority popular vote in 2
rounds if needed.
Prime minister appointed by the
president and confirmed by the Sejm.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 6 August 2015 (last elected 10
and 24 May 2015)
Since 16 November 2016
Lower House142 Upper House143
Name: Sejm Senat / Senate
Members: 460 100
Appointment Mechanism: 41 multi-member (7 to 19 seats)
constituencies, a total of 460 seats.
All 460 members are elected by
proportional representation,
distribution of seats being effected
on the basis of the modified Saint-
Lague method.
100 single-member constituencies.
Single member plurality system (first-
past-the-post system).
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years 4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 25 October 2015 25 October 2015
139 European Union, ‘Poland’, accessed 27 March 2017. 140 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Fact Book: Poland’, accessed 27 March 2017. 141 ibid. 142 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Poland: Sejm’, accessed 27 March 2017. 143 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Poland: Senat (Senate)’, accessed 27 March 2017.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 43
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 21: UK Exports to and Imports from Poland in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
The Polish Prime Minister, Beata Szydło, met the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, for bilateral
talks on 11 November 2016. Commenting afterwards, Mrs Szydło said that the “most
important” matter from Poland’s perspective was that of guaranteeing rights for Polish citizens
who live and work in the UK.144 However, she added that Poland saw the UK as a strategic
partner, and regardless of the UK leaving the EU, bilateral relations between the two countries
would “flourish”.145 Mrs Szydło also said that Poland would seek to “broaden and deepen these
relations in the future”.146
144 Prime Minister’s Office, ‘PM and Prime Minister Beata Szydło Statements: 28 November 2016’, 28 November
2016. 145 ibid. 146 ibid.
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22. Portugal
EU Member Since: 1 January 1986
Population (2015): 10,374,822 (2 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 21
Currency: Euro (since 1 January 1999)
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €179.379 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 26 March 1995)147
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State148 Head of Government149
Name: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (President) Antonio Luis Santos da Costa (Prime
Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: President directly elected by
absolute majority popular vote in
two rounds if needed.
Following legislative elections last
held in October 2015, the leader of
the majority party or majority
coalition was appointed prime
minister by the President.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 9 March 2016 (last elected 24
January 2016)
Since 24 November 2015
Unicameral150
Name: Assembleia da Republica / Assembly of the Republic
Members: 230
Appointment Mechanism: 22 multi-member constituencies. Includes four members representing
Portuguese citizens living abroad. Closed party-list system, with
proportional representation based on the d’Hondt method; each list must
bear as many names as there are seats to be filled in the constituency.
Electors may only vote for one list.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 4 October 2015
147 European Union, ‘Portugal’, accessed 27 March 2017. 148 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Fact Book: Portugal’, accessed 27 March 2017. 149 ibid. 150 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Portugal: Assembleia da Republica (Assembly of the Republic)’,
accessed 27 March 2017.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 45
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 22: UK Exports to and Imports from Portugal in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Speaking on 11 October 2016, Portuguese Prime Minister, Antonio Costa, was quoted as saying
that Portugal wanted a close relationship with the UK both bilaterally and in terms of the UK’s relationship with the EU.151 Describing what he termed “red lines”, Mr Costa said that if
freedom of movement were restricted it would mean that the UK would not be granted access
to the single market.152 Mr Costa also said that Portugal hoped for a “separation [which] is
amicable” but it was looking to attract companies due to its geographic location, English-
speaking talent pool and proximity to London.153
151 Bloomberg, ‘Portuguese Prime Minister Says UK Ties Will Weather Brexit’, 11 October 2016. 152 ibid. 153 ibid.
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23. Romania
EU Member Since: 1 January 2007
Population (2015): 19,870,647 (3.9 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 32
Currency: Romanian Leu
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €160.353 billion
Schengen Area Member: No154
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State155 Head of Government156
Name: Klaus Werner Iohannis (President) Sorin Mihai Grindeanu (Prime
Minister)157
Appointment Mechanism: President directly elected by
absolute majority popular vote in
two rounds if needed.
Prime minister appointed by the
President with consent of Parliament.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 21 December 2014 (last
elected 2 and 16 November 2014)
Since January 2017158
Lower House159 Upper House160
Name: Camera Deputatilor / Chamber of
Deputies
Senatul / Senate
Members: 329 136
Appointment Mechanism: 41 constituencies at county level
(one constituency per county) for
279 seats. One constituency in
Bucharest for 29 seats. One
constituency abroad for four seats.
Elected by proportional
representation (list PR). Up to 18
additional seats are available for
representatives of legally established
national minorities if they do not win
any seats in either chamber of
parliament.
41 constituencies at county level
(one constituency per county) for
121 seats. One constituency in
Bucharest for 13 seats. One
constituency abroad for two seats.
Elected by proportional
representation (list PR).
154 European Union, ‘Romania’, accessed 27 March 2017. 155 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Fact Book: Romania’, accessed 27 March 2017. 156 ibid. 157 Government of Romania, ‘Ministers of the Romanian Government’, accessed 3 April 2017. 158 BBC News, ‘Romania profile: Leaders’, 3 February 2017. 159 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Romania: Camera Deputatilor (Chamber of Deputies)’, accessed
27 March 2017. 160 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database: Romania: Senatul (Senate)’, accessed 27 March 2017.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 47
Lower House159 Upper House160
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years 4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 11 December 2016 11 December 2016
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 23: UK Exports to and Imports from Romania in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Responding to the UK’s vote to leave the EU, Romanian Minister-delegate for European Affairs,
Ana Birchall, stated that it was important for the EU to channel its “attention on strengthening
unity, cohesion, and solidarity, on the successful implementation of our available mechanisms
and instruments”.161 The press release accompanying her comments explained that Romania
sought a fair and manageable approach to the negotiation on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU,
and that the UK should maintain a partnership with the EU:
Regarding our country’s contribution, the Minister Delegate for European Affairs
mentioned the fact that Romania’s objective is managing this complex process in a fair
and predictable manner, according to the provisions in the Union Treaties, and also in
accordance with the national interests. It is especially important to maintain a privileged,
partnership relation between the EU and Great Britain, considering our shared
interests, be it in relation to the economy, or the consolidation of the security
environment.162
Ana Birchall also stated that the rights of Romania’s citizens in the UK “should not be affected
by Great Britain exiting from the EU”.163
161 Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ‘The Participation of the Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Ana
Birchall, at the “Brexit: Current Status and Outlook” Debate’, 24 February 2017. 162 ibid. 163 ibid.
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24. Slovakia
EU Member Since: 1 May 2004
Population (2015): 5,421,349 (1.1 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 13
Currency: Euro (since 1 January 2009)
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €78.071 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (21 December 2007)164
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State165 Head of Government166
Name: Andrej Kiska (President) Robert Fico (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Directly elected by absolute majority
popular vote in two rounds.
Following National Council elections,
the leader of the majority party or
majority coalition usually appointed
prime minister by the President.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 15 June 2014 (last elected 15
and 29 March 2014)
Since 4 April 2012
Unicameral167
Name: Narodna rada Slovenskej republiky / National Council
Members: 150
Appointment Mechanism: Proportional, closed party list system using Hagenbach Bischoff method and
greatest remainders calculation for leftover seats. Each elector can cast four
preferential votes for candidates with respect to the same list.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 5 March 2016
164 European Union, ‘Slovakia’, accessed 27 March 2017. 165 Central Intelligence Agency ‘World Factbook: Slovakia’, accessed 27 March 2017. 166 ibid. 167 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database on National Parliaments: Slovakia, National Council’, accessed
27 March 2017.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 49
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 24: UK Exports to and Imports from Slovakia in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
In a tweet posted on the day after the UK’s EU referendum, Slovakian President, Andrej Kiska,
stated that Slovakia’s EU “integration is hurt by Brexit, not defeated”.168 He stated that “our job
now is to fix the EU as a unique place of solidarity prosperity and security”.169
On 18 September 2016, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said in an interview that during
negotiations his “most important” demand would be for the “equal treatment” of his citizens in
Britain if they were to access the single market.170
168 Andrej Kiska, ‘Personal Twitter Account’, 24 June 2016. 169 ibid. 170 Alex Barker and Henry Foy, ‘Slovakia says Europe Will Make Brexit ‘Very Painful’ for UK’, Financial Times (£),
18 September 2016.
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25. Slovenia
EU Member Since: 1 May 2004
Population (2015): 2,062,874 (0.4 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 8
Currency: Euro (since 1 January 2007)
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €38.543 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 21 December 2007)171
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State172 Head of Government173
Name: Borut Pahor (President) Miro Cerar (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Absolute majority popular vote. Following National Assembly
elections, the leader of the majority
party or majority coalition usually
nominated prime minister by the
president and elected by the
National Assembly.
Term Length
(where defined):
5 Years –
Last Election / Appointment: Since 22 December 2012 (last
elected 11 November and 2
December 2012)
Since 18 September 2014
Lower House174 Upper House175
Name: Drzavbi Zbor / National Assembly Drzavni Svet / National Council
Members: 90 40
Appointment Mechanism: Proportional representation using
the simple quotient and the
preferential system (simple majority
preferential vote for the two
Deputies representing the Italian and
Hungarian communities).
22 single-member constituencies for
elections of the representatives of
local interests. The elections of the
representatives of functional
interests are carried out in electoral
assemblies by electors, elected by
interest groups in accordance with
their rules.
171 European Union, ‘Slovenia’, accessed 27 March 2017. 172 Central Intelligence Agency ‘World Factbook: Slovenia’, accessed 27 March 2017. 173 ibid. 174 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database on National Parliaments: Slovenia National Assembly’, accessed
27 March 2017. 175 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database on National Parliaments: Slovenia National Council’, accessed
27 March 2017.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 51
Lower House174 Upper House175
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years 5 years
Last Election / Appointment: 13 July 2014 21 November 2012
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 25: UK Exports to and Imports from Slovenia in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar has stated that he “respects but also regrets” the UK’s
decision leave the EU,176 adding that “Slovenia certainly remains strongly committed to further
enhancement of the European Union”.177
Miro Cerar has also said that a unified and coherent approach of the EU was needed to take
part in negotiations with the UK, and that the UK leaving the EU must not divide the remaining
27 member countries.178
176 Government of the Republic of Slovenia, ‘Miro Cerar: For a Unified and Strong European Union’, 1 July 2016. 177 ibid. 178 Government of the Republic of Slovenia, ‘PM Miro Cerar with EU Leaders on Migration and Security’,
16 December 2016.
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26. Spain
EU Member Since: 1 January 1999
Population (2015): 46,449,565 (9.1 percent of EU total)
Number of MEPs: 54
Currency: Euro (since 1 January 1999)
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €1.081 trillion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 26 March 1995)179
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State180 Head of Government181
Name: Felipe VI of Spain (Monarch) Mariano Rajoy Brey (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Hereditary Following legislative elections, the
Spanish monarch nominates a
candidate for the presidency, who is
then indirectly elected by the
Congress of Deputies
Term Length
(where defined):
– –
Last Election / Appointment: 19 June 2014 Since 20 December 2011
Lower House182 Upper House183
Name: Congress of Deputies Senate
Members: 350 266
Appointment Mechanism: 50 multi-member (minimum two
seats per province directly elected,
the rest allotted according to
population) and two single-member
constituencies (North African
enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla—filled
by the “next-in-line” candidate).
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years 4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 26 June 2016 21 November 2012
179 European Union, ‘Spain’, accessed 27 March 2017. 180 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Factbook: Spain’, accessed 27 March 2017. 181 ibid. 182 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database on National Parliaments: Spain, Congress of Deputies’, accessed
27 March 2017. 183 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database on National Parliaments: Spain, Senate’, accessed 27 March 2017.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 53
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 26: UK Exports to and Imports from Spain in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
At a news conference on 24 January 2017, the Spanish Prime Minster, Mariano Rajoy, stated
that the UK withdrawing from the EU was a “serious threat” due to the direct economic
relations between the UK and Spain.184 However, Mr Rajoy also stated that the Spanish
Government would work to ensure that the UK leaving the EU created the “fewest number of
problems to British and Spanish citizens, and take place in the most orderly fashion possible”.185
In June 2016, the Spanish Government called for joint sovereignty over Gibraltar in the wake of
the UK’s vote to leave the EU.186
184 Government of Spain, ‘Dialogue is a Political Imperative and an Unavoidable Necessity’, 24 January 2017. 185 ibid. 186 BBC News, ‘Brexit: Spain Calls for Joint Control of Gibraltar’, 24 June 2016.
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27. Sweden
EU Member Since: 1 January 1995
Population (2015): 9,747,355 (1.9 percent of total)
Number of MEPs: 20
Currency: Swedish Krona
Gross Domestic Product (2015): €444.235 billion
Schengen Area Member: Yes (since 25 March 2001)187
Constitutional and Parliamentary Arrangements
Head of State188 Head of Government189
Name: Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
(Monarch)
Stefan Löfven (Prime Minister)
Appointment Mechanism: Hereditary Following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or
majority coalition become the prime
minister.
Term Length
(where defined):
– –
Last Election / Appointment: 19 September 1973 Since 3 October 2014
Unicameral190
Name: Riksdagen / Parliament
Members: 349
Appointment Mechanism: For 310 of the seats there are 29 multi–member constituencies (two to 34
seats each). Seats are proportionally distributed according to the modified
Sainte-Laguë method. The remaining 39 seats are allotted by the system of
full proportional representation based on the votes obtained nationwide.
Term Length
(where defined):
4 years
Last Election / Appointment: 14 September 2014
187 European Union, ‘Sweden’, accessed 27 March 2017. 188 Central Intelligence Agency, ‘World Factbook: Sweden’, accessed 27 March 2017. 189 ibid. 190 Inter-Parliamentary Union, ‘Parline Database on National Parliaments: Sweden, Parliament’, accessed 27 March
2017.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 55
Trade with the United Kingdom
Chart 27: UK Exports to and Imports from Sweden in Goods and Services, 2015
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Tables 9.4 and 9.5: Geographical Breakdown of the
Current Account, The Pink Book: 2016’, 29 July 2016)
View on the UK Leaving the EU
Speaking the day after the UK voted to leave the EU, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said
that Sweden respected the UK’s decision and that the UK would remain an important partner for Sweden “in its new role outside the EU”.191 At a meeting in January 2017 with Germany’s
Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mr Löfven also stated that Sweden needed to safeguard the
future of the EU but also “ensure good relations with the UK”.192 The following month, in an
interview, Mr Löfven described a UK-EU deal within two years as “optimistic”, that striking a
good agreement would be a struggle and that the UK would have to pay its commitments,
saying “you first negotiate on how to make the exit, and then you have the other
discussions”.193 However, he felt that security cooperation remained important: “we need to
look into the security issue—combating terrorism, but also military, to see what we can do to
increase our security in this rather difficult times now”.
191 Government Offices of Sweden, ‘Prime Minister Stefan Löfven on the Results of the Referendum in the United
Kingdom’, 24 June 2016. 192 Government Offices of Sweden, ‘Hopes of Stronger EU Cooperation on Security, Climate and Migration’,
26 January 2017. 193 Jill Lawless, ‘AP Interview: Sweden PM: Brexit Deal in 2 years ‘Very Tough’’, AP News, 17 February 2017.
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Appendix
This Appendix presents data drawn from Office for National Statistics (ONS) publications
‘What Information is there on British Migrants Living in Europe?: Jan 2017’ (27 January 2017,
see Table 1 of this publication), and ‘Population of the UK by Country of Birth and Nationality:
2015’ (25 August 2016, see Table 2 of this publication). Table 1 is drawn from data for 2011 but
the ONS explains it still represents the best estimate of British citizens living in the EU (see
section below). Table 2 presents data drawn from the Annual Population Survey and represents
the most up-to-date data on EU citizens living in the UK published by the ONS.
Notes on the Data
Table 1 presents data on British citizens living in Europe in 2011.
These data were compiled by the ONS but drawn from Eurostat’s Census Hub.194 Eurostat
collected data from each EU member states’ 2010 to 2011 census.195 Whilst the data are from 2011 the ONS argue that there are several reasons why they represent the best estimate of
British citizens living in the EU:
They are available for all countries in the EU and EFTA.
They are rigorously collected and verified.
They are one of the only sources of data using the “citizenship” definition.
They are rich data, which allow further demographic analysis of British citizens living in the EU.
The counts measured in 2011 are not greatly different to those that exist today;
where countries have more recent data, this has been checked and no major
differences are apparent.196
The ONS explains that the data is based on ‘residents’ who have stayed, or plan to stay, in the
host country for twelve months or longer:
This means that short-term migrants and circular migrants (for example, repeated migration
between locations, such as British citizens who spend part of the year in the EU and part of the
year in the UK) are not counted. Any British citizens who spend only part of the year living in
the EU are not counted in these data.197
Eurostat approaches the issue of dual citizenship in a particular way. Eurostat selects one
citizenship based on the following hierarch:
Citizenship of reporting country.
194 Office for National Statistics, ‘What Information is there on British Migrants Living in Europe?: Jan 2017’,
27 January 2017. 195 These censuses are a mixture of questionnaire census, register-based (administrative data) censuses and
combined (register and survey) censuses. 196 Office for National Statistics, ‘What Information is there on British Migrants Living in Europe?: Jan 2017’,
27 January 2017. 197 ibid.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 57
Other EU member state citizenship.
non-EU member state citizenship.
The ONS explains the effect of this on the data in Table 1:
This means that a person with both French and British citizenship, living in France, is not
counted as British in these data. This definition is relevant for identifying those citizens
who do not have citizenship of another EU state to use when the UK exits the EU.198
Table 2 presents data on EU citizens resident in the UK for 2015.
These data are collated by the ONS and drawn from the Annual Population Survey (APS):
Estimates of the population of the UK by country of birth and nationality are based
upon data from the Annual Population Survey (APS). The APS, which began in 2004, is a
continuous survey, comprising the Labour Force Survey (LFS), supplemented by sample
boosts in England, Wales and Scotland to ensure small areas are sufficiently sampled.
The APS is a survey of households in the UK, so does not include most communal
establishments.199
It should be noted that the APS assigns nationality differently to Eurostat. In the APS when
asked for a persons’ nationality their first answer is recorded. These data also only include
those living in private households and omits those living in most types of communal
establishments.
The data presented in Table 2 has corresponding confidence intervals. The ONS explain that in
a survey:
A 95 percent confidence interval is a range within which the true population would fall
for 95 percent of the times the sample survey was repeated. It is a standard way of
expressing the statistical accuracy of a survey based estimate. If an estimate has a high
error level, the corresponding confidence interval will be very wide.200
198 Office for National Statistics, ‘What Information is there on British Migrants Living in Europe?: Jan 2017’,
27 January 2017. 199 Office for National Statistics, ‘Population of the UK by Country of Birth and Nationality: 2015’, 25 August 2016. 200 Office for National Statistics, ‘Confidence Intervals’, accessed 30 March 2017.
58 House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27
Table 1: Number of British Citizens Living in EU 27 Countries, 2011
Country of Residence Total
Spain 308,805
France 157,062
Ireland 112,090
Germany 96,200
Netherlands201 41,373
Belgium 24,975
Cyprus 24,046
Italy 22,673
Sweden 18,119
Portugal 15,774
Greece 15,388
Denmark 14,700
Austria 8,431
Malta 6,652
Luxembourg 5,480
Czech Republic 5,182
Finland 3,454
Bulgaria 2,605
Hungary 2,602
Poland 2,058
Slovakia 605
Romania202 521
Slovenia 386
Croatia 334
Estonia 310
Latvia 243
Lithuania203 231
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘What Information is there on British Migrants Living in
Europe: Jan 2017’, 27 January 2017, Table 1)
201 The information comes from Statistics Netherlands’ national register and is for 2011. 202 Romania does not provide information to Eurostat. The ONS has estimated the number of British citizens living
in Romania from country of birth data. Across EU8 countries there are large numbers of children born in the UK
who are not British citizens. The ratio between citizenship and country of birth was calculated for the 7 EU8
countries for which both pieces of information are available. This was then applied to Romania’s country of birth
data to estimate citizenship. 203 Lithuania does not provide these data to Eurostat because of confidentiality. Instead, the ONS has estimated
these data from country of birth data, in the same way as is estimated for Romania.
House of Lords Library Note I Leaving the EU: Profile of the EU27 59
Table 2: Number of EU 27 Citizens Resident in the UK, 2015
Population Resident in the UK Estimate CI +/-204
Poland 916,000 43,000
Ireland 332,000 26,000
Romania 233,000 22,000
Portugal 219,000 21,000
Italy 192,000 20,000
Lithuania 170,000 19,000
France 165,000 18,000
Germany 135,000 17,000
Spain 132,000 16,000
Latvia 97,000 14,000
Slovakia 93,000 14,000
Hungary 82,000 13,000
Netherlands 81,000 13,000
Bulgaria 66,000 12,000
Greece 56,000 11,000
Czech Republic 45,000 10,000
Sweden 34,000 8,000
Denmark 30,000 8,000
Belgium 26,000 7,000
Austria 14,000 5,000
Cyprus 13,000 5,000
Finland 10,000 4,000
Estonia 8,000 4,000
Malta 5,000 3,000
Croatia 4,000 3,000
Slovenia 2,000 2,000
Luxembourg205 – –
(Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Population by Country of Birth and Nationality’,
25 August 2016)
204 CI +/- is the upper (+) and lower (-) 95 percent confidence limits. It is defined as: 1.96 x standard error. If the
confidence interval is higher than the estimate, it is not considered reliable for practical purposes. 205 Not available due to disclosure content.
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