Navigating the Complexities of Brexit: Impacts on Europes Political and Economic Future

Abstract

Europe and Brexit Introduction Brexit is one the most significant political and economic events in the history of Europe and its implications on the continent are unprecedented. In 2016, the United Kingdom (UK) held a referendum to exit from the European Union (EU) in a move motivated by the need for political sovereignty. Regardless of the intentions and the possibility of a smooth transition in the process, unprecedented events were unavoidable since this is the first country to exit the union (Read and Fenge 679). While Eurosceptics have existed across Europe since the formation of the political and economic union, this was the first successful move by the citizens of a member state. The current research paper addresses the question, “Why is Brexit issue so difficult for Europe to solve?” Since the UK became a member of EU’s predecessor in 1973, it has played a critical part in the content’s culture, politics, and economy. The growing influence of the union over member countries over the years has increased skepticism over the union’s benefits. UK’s departure from the EU will have significant historical, anthropological, economic, and political implications on the continent since the country has significant geographical and historical ties to Europe. Background of the Issue Brexit refers to the historical departure of UK from the EU following the 2016 referendum in which majority voted not to stay in the union. UK has been a member of the EU and since the organization was formed in 1993 and was a member of its predecessor, the European Communities from 1973. Since no other country had left the EU, most of the implications were unprecedented and based on experts’ speculations on how the region would be affected by this shift. Since the formation of its predecessor, the EU has resulted in closer economic, political, and legal ties that have affected the overall growth of the region (Hadfield and Turner 661). The economies of member countries are based on the agreements and trade relations existing between the countries forming the union. Additionally, the organization acts as a platform for shared resources, political defenses, and economic growth among the countries. The departure of the UK from the organization was bound to affect the UK as well as other countries in the region. Moreover, potential spillover effects of Brexit will have implications on countries that are not members of the EU especially those with significant political and economic ties with the region. A key concern associated with Brexit is the ways in which a new agreement will affect the political, economic, and legal relations between UK and the remaining members of the EU. The history, economic alienation, political ties, and cultural aspects of the UK have been influenced by its membership of the EU. Therefore, the businesses in the country and the nation in general are likely to continue having ties with the current members (Archick 129). The departure of UK, however, implies that it does not have to follow the EU laws or trade regulations. The relationship between the UK and EU members after Brexit have significant implications on the economy of the region as well as the economic growth of countries in Europe. The post-Brexit agreement will pave way for major changes in the region that will affect the continent in general including previous non-EU members (Read and Fenge 679). Since the UK can make trade agreements of its own without following the EU laws, Brexit raises questions on the implications this has on the continent’s social, political, and economic future. Historical Perspective Most of the modern history of Europe is based on the political, economic, and cultural relationships between major powers in the region. Of these countries, the UK has played a central role in the region’s development. The exit of the UK from the EU implies that these nations will be adjusting from centuries of partnerships and relationships among these nations. Examining the historical development of the EU demonstrates the role it has in shaping the region and the member countries (Read and Fenge 681). The background of the union can be traced from the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1951 bringing together the inner six countries namely; Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, West Germany, and the Netherlands. UK’s attempt to join in 1963 and 1967 failed as a result of vetoed votes by Charles de Gaulle, then President of France (Read and Fenge 697). While UK was able to join successfully in 1973, it did so without a referendum to facilitate the inclusion of the nation into the economic and political organization. Since its entry into the organization, organizations and individuals skeptical of the membership of UK have expressed dissatisfaction with the effect it has on the country. The UK held its firsts referendum to gauge the views of its citizens on membership of the European Community in 1975. The outcome of the referendum was a majority of 67.2% in support of remining within the bloc (Archick 123). Since then UK had not held another referendum on the issue until Brexit and the views of its citizens had changed considerably. Over time, the effect of the bloc on the UK and other member countries have changed considerably in relation to the flow of goods, labor, and resources among the members. Additionally, stronger ties established by EU rules have gradually increased the dependence of member countries on the bloc. Europe’s economy has been, for years, defined by the impact of the trading partnerships among and with the members of the EU. Businesses within the union and those in Europe have been influenced by the regulations and trading patterns created by EU. With the shift established by Brexit, it is critical to consider the difficulties that Europe as a continent may encounter adjusting to the changes associated with UK’s departure. Since the entry of the UK into the EU, the region has entered into political and economic relations with numerous other countries and regions. Political and trade deals between the UK and other regional organizations have been based on its membership with the EU. Through the EU government, the UK has extended its political affiliations and economic alliances to other countries. Moreover, negotiations between the EU and other governments have been based on its power with the membership of the UK (Archick 136). For nearly 50 years, the region’s alliances have depended on the additional power the EU had with the presence of the third largest European economy as a member. For the first time, the citizens of a member country of the EU voted not to remain in the union and this could affect how other countries value the continued inclusion into the EU. Regardless of the impact that Brexit has on the European countries’ and specifically the UK, other members may opt to exit the union. Geographical Perspective The geography of the EU is one of the key reasons for the region’s successful integration. It is one of the largest global territories consisting of twenty-seven members after the exit of the UK and currently shares bounders with 20 other countries around the world. Consequently, the size of the individual countries and the region in general has played a major role in the impact that the bloc has on individual states. Countries forming the EU rely heavily on the support from member states and are expected to avail resources in the event of need. For instance, the militaries of 27 countries forming the EU are closely related and would be expected to participate in conflicts involving a member state (Billing et al. 1573). Moreover, the region is expansive and covers the European territory from Finland in the northeast to Ireland in the northwest, Cyprus to the southeast, and Spain to the southwest. Like other political and economic unions around the world, the geography of the EU plays a major role in the effectiveness of the organization. Its impact on member states is defined by the potential of other countries to impact political and economic support. The UK, formerly the United Kingdom of Great Britain and North Ireland is on the far west side of the union. Apart from Norway, UK is the other only western European region that is not a member of the EU and all other neighbors of the country are members. While it has only one land border with another country, Ireland, its political and economic structures are heavily dependent on the formulation of the union. During negotiations between the UK and the UE, the Northern Ireland Protocol was developed to protect this part of the nation from the economic implications of the Brexit (Archick 123). It was necessary to protect this part of the UK from isolation from Ireland and maintain some of the trade relationships. The geography of the EU and the position of the UK in relation to its members was a critical issue during Brexit negotiations. With the country being a key player ion trade in the region, it was necessary to protect the region from political and economic changes taking place in the region. Additionally, the country has been a central influence in the formulation of EU policies as a major economic and political player in the region. With Brexit, UK will continue partnering with its neighbors, most of which are members of the union and initiate new trade and political trade deals with the region (Bulmer and Quaglia 1091). The EU and its members have to formulate an exit plan for Britain that allows for future partnerships between the countries. Therefore, they have to ensure that the deal formulate between the union and the nation during its exit do not pose potential challenges either for the UK or other EU members during future trade negotiations. Anthropology Brexit is a significant anthropological process that will have significant anthropological effects across all European countries. In particular, Brexit will have cultural implications on Europeans working and living in the UK, protected by EU’s regulations (Wilson 6). This anthropological perspective is critical as it demonstrates the implications of families and communities being disrupted by the agreements made between the nations involved. After Brexit, the residents of EU countries will no longer be free to work and live in the UK under the free trade agreements (Archick 122). The examination of the problem requires the analysis of Brexit as a process that will be marked with uncertainties caused by the new laws. After Brexit, the UK could formulate regulations governing the movement of labor and goods to favor its businesses. The cultural implications of such laws will extend beyond the citizens of EU members and the people working in the UK. Moreover, Brexit’s implications have anthropological effects on the future of the residents of the British Isles in Northern Ireland. Some of the most significant challenges reaching a Brexit agreement were based on...