UK - EU negotiations: The difference between compromises and solutions

PM Cameron presented his wishlish for reforms at the European Council 17 december 2015. Afterwards there was an exchange of views between the participants. The media reported that Cameron´s proposals are difficult to meet, but there is willingness to compromise. This may sound positive for the negotiations, but does not mean Cameron will succeed. To do that he must achieve solutions to the four problem areas he described in his letter to President Tusk. The letter does not specify exactly how the reforms should be designed. That can be done in several ways and is a matter for the negotiations. But it is important that the concerns of the British people over their membership in the European union are properly addressed.

There are lots of EU sceptics in UK who argue that Cameron´s reform-wishlist is "trivial", that the only adequate measure for UK will be to leave the Union. If  Cameron comes back from the negotiations with compromises - measures which don´t address the challenges he describes well enough - it will be a gift-package to the leave-camp. They can then argue that not even such a modest wishlist as Camerons was the EU willing to accept.

To convince enough people that UK should remain in the Union, it will be important for him to negotiate credible solutions to his four problem areas (economic governance, competitiveness, sovereignty and immigration). He has some wiggle room, but the negotiations must appear as a success.

The media gave an illustration of Camerons wiggle room some days ago. According to an "unnamed official" had French and German leaders made a counter offer to Camerons proposal of a four year ban before EU migrants can claim benefits. They had offered Cameron a three year ban. If correct this might be enough for Cameron to claim successful negotiations concering benfits for EU migrants. A two year ban would be a typical fifty-fifty compromise and will not be enough for him.