New Statesman series on Britain and Europe: Even treatiezzzzzzzzzz can be interesting

After all the time I spent in Brussels, it’s been a real eye-opener to see how the debate is framed in the UK. One of my first projects has been this six-part series for New Statesman, “Europe for the easily bored.” Scroll down and click through the links below to learn about everything from the secret sauna in the basement of the Berlaymont building to the time Nick Clegg set fire to a cactus collection…

Here are some nice things people said about it on Twitter:

This EU primer by @FMR_Brussels is BRILLIANT and an essential weapon in the war on ignorance. Read, memorise, deploy! http://t.co/eZRUnnZjT2

— Chris Kendall (@ottocrat) March 26, 2015

It's like real life chatter with the marvellous @FMR_Brussels. Her EU explainer for the 'easily bored'. You won't be http://t.co/KANl6KsNeZ

— Bruno Waterfield (@BrunoBrussels) February 17, 2015

My dear, easily bored cake-eating friends, hope you’re all eagerly reading @FMR_Brussels http://t.co/IXBey4hIkA – the Mini drivers in Europe

— Sabina Gockel (@palafenice) February 25, 2015

Part One: The institutions — What you actually need to know about the bodies that make up the European Union (clue: it’s nothing to do with the Council of Europe).

Part Two: Where does the UK stand? Explaining governance with an extended cake metaphor. Yum.

Part Three: What has Europe ever done for me? Thanks to the EU, wine is more affordable, flights are cheaper and you can access the internet on your phone abroad without having to get another mortgage.

Part Four: Doom, whisky, and getting lost in mazes: what are the options for the UK flouncing out of the European Union? Sovereignty explained through the concept of being naked in the desert.

Part Five: Migration and money… some facts.

Part Six: A question of influence: how successful could Britain be in a renegotiation of its EU membership? And do we even use the powers we have now?