Brexit EU Domino Effect ?

Brexit EU – FROM THE ENTRY OF UNITED KINGDOM IN THE EUROPEAN UNION TO BREXIT : DOMINO EFFECT . WHAT FUTURE FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION ?

Author : Giulia Turchetti
Translated by : Matteo Aristei
November 2017

” Brexit ” is a watershed event of an essential importance in the contemporary history, it is intended to change the fate of Member States of the European Union and not only . The word Brexit is a neologism that comes from english, it indicates Great Britain ‘ s exit from the economical and political union, that was established after the Second World War .

This union has guaranteed peace, stability and prosperity to many generations for over half century . Indeed, the European Union, whose name was established in 1993 in the Maastricht Treaty with the aim of making the union stronger and more connected with people of Europe, is not just a simple association of 28 countries ( such as Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany and Italy ) because it guarantees essential freedom, for example the one enshrined in the Schengen Agreement, in which european citizens have free movement from a country to another ; it commits itself to protect human rights such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality and rule of law in accordance with the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009 ; European Union won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 promoting important rights, including reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe .

In history, Great Britain ‘ s entry in the European Economic Community ( EEC ) is from 1973 and it was lucky because at the time its gross domestic product ( GDP ) was below the european average . Nevertheless, the outcome of the referendum on 23 rd June 2016 in Great Britain expressed the will of a final closure towards an institution that it has never been attached to, and it follows from the failure to join the Euro from the Country .

According to british euro – sceptics, the exit from European Union would allow the Island to have a better control on the immigration, and most of all to be free from european bureaucracies and taxation . Of course, the first Brexit ‘ s result was David Cameron ‘ s resignation, now ex premier, he was leader of the Conservative Party and he tried until the very last to convince voters to vote for Remain ( people who wanted to remain within EU ). Great Britain was an important country for Europe and, on the other hand, be part of EU allowed the Island to be not isolated from important economical and geopolitical decisions .

But in the light of the victory of Leave ( people who didn’t want to remain within the EU ) with the 51,9 % of votes, this situation has radically changed . People of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be considered as non-EU after the effective exit from EU, not to mention some moods that the New Government have to deal with . This decision was made in the United Kingdom, but it fragments the Country’s population, and it concerns all the citizens of the European Union as well .

It won’t be easier for young people to go to work in Great Britain at this point, even if they just want to learn english . British Government’s restriction is putting an end to freedom of movement of european immigrants who are looking for work, except they have specific qualifications, using the ” Cherry picking ” tactic : it means use only the best of what is offered to United Kingdom from European Union .

Furthermore, family reunification will be limited after the end of the process of London’s exit from EU ( on 29 March 2019 ). The country intends to regain a fully – fledged sovereignty on the control of its borders . The fate will also change for european tourists who are going to stay for a short period in United Kingdom : identity cards will be no longer enough, but passport will be needed . However, now in over one year from the Referendum which was called by Cameron with the aim of reaffirming the United Kingdom’s stay in the European Union and which brought completely unexpected results, the fate of Great Britain is still uncertain and it has to be determined .

United Kingdom’s exit from EU should formally take place on March 2019, but before then there are a lot of hard problems to solve . Indeed, one of those concerns the bill that United Kingdom have to pay to European Union . This amounts to a figure between 60 and 100 billion of euro . The british premier Theresa May, who was elected after Cameron’s resignation, asks to this end for a post-Brexit transitional period in order to honour the economical commitments towards Europe .

However, Theresa May’s contradictions reveal signs of uncertainty, not only for Great Britain’s future, but also for the future of the premier itself . As a result there is ever more criticism against her in order to challenge and remove her . Although many people think that United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union doesn’t represent the Union’s end, there is ever more a domino effect in many other countries, and it is likely to sign an inevitable fate for EU . Therefore, euro-sceptics of Europe come together, and between the Country which have claimed a Referendum copying Brexit’s phenomenon, there are France with the support of Marine Le Pen at Front National for Frexit ( France ’ s exit ), Germany with Beatrix von Storch, leader of AfD party ( Alternative for Germany ), for Germany ’ s exit , Netherlands with Wilders who is favourable for Nexit ( Netherlands ’ exit ).

This situation constitutes a real wake – up call, especially because british people ’ s vote in favour of United Kingdom ’ s exit from EU is the historical event more important that the European continent has ever seen since the fall of the Berlin Wall . As it appears now, the affair has a twofold significance : on one hand, it is of course a freedom demonstration of people who claim his right to decide for itself ; on the other hand, euro – sceptics nationalists are growing, and this constitutes a threat that Europe has to consider for the future .

ARTICLE SOURCES :

- europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/eu-in-brief
- europarltv.europa.eu/it/programme/eu-affairs/uk-referendum
- repubblica.it/plus/articoli/news/eur repubblica.it/economia/brexit_il_guardian_londra
- esteri/brexit-effetto-domino-i-paesi-che-vorrebbero-il-referendum/