Brexit: Challenges and Future of EU-UK Relations
Brexit: Challenges and the Future of EU-UK Relations
When the novelist handed down this metaphorical warning, he was completely unable to imagine that …. He was not even able to picture …. But he actually realized that consequences always have implications. It happens so in Populism has an effect on …. So does the X. Thus the phrase is prophetical all the same, and hits home. Today, Brexit is much more than a simple political phenomenon. It is much more than a straightforward issue. Firstly, the description of the current situation will focus on its multipolar nature. Then it will go on to analyze different alternatives proposed and, in the end, a reflection will be done on what really underlies Brexit, a reality full of challenges, and, thus, controversial.
The Multipolar Nature of Brexit
To begin with, the nature of Brexit should be explained. Marcel Merle, a French sociologist, said that a comprehensive understanding of a social phenomenon relies on describing it as a whole. Mentioning well-known features such as A, B, C, is not enough. Indeed, Brexit works like a three-dimensional game.
- On the one hand, there are formal factors. On that point, it can be said that only a few actors can make decisions unilaterally: A, B.
- But there are also additional components which should be taken into account, such as A, B. The inclusion of them is vital since their influence is undeniable, from ….
- There is an additional dimension, filled with transnational relations beyond the reach of traditional conceptions. A large number of components, such as A, B, C, can be listed.
Indeed President Trump, in an official visit to Berlin, offered to empower new Euro-skeptical parties. As Joseph Nye puts it, “when you are in a three-dimensional game, you will lose if you focus only on one board, and fail to notice the other boards and the vertical connections among them”. From all this we can infer that we have gone from an age of idealism to an age of skepticism, and just as A was the prime exemplar of the first, B are the prime exemplar of the second. And, as Daniel Innerarity said, “The very roots of the European system –..– have been destabilized”. Deep down this is a call for compromise.
Alternatives and Challenges Post-Brexit
Having said that, there is an array of alternatives at this very moment. Just after the Second World War, P proposed an inspirational perspective of what X should be: …. His message quickens a sense of responsibility we are perhaps still unequipped to shoulder. But as important as it is –and it is very important- it is not what we talk about when mentioning the current challenges of Brexit: A, B, C. If badly understood, they seem almost exclusive. In short, accepting A means clipping the wings of B. Settling right now on a B border is not directly compatible with C. Moreover, this option does not go well with C.
At this time, the challenge par excellence may be a responsible implementation of D. It goes without saying that responsibility, expounded on these terms, is a process of slow becoming. It is also a call for realism: Brexit depends on P. If they both take up the torch of leadership, they will be able to add a new dimension to the quest for solutions. They will supply a sense of direction which is lacking today in Europe.
The Future of Brexit and the Need for a Unified Europe
Thus, let us return to the main question: What does the future have in store for Brexit? The world is not what it used to be decades ago. As a result, Europe has changed. There is no room here to enumerate each of these transformations. But a few are worth mentioning because whether we recognize it or not, they can have vast implications: A, B, C, and so on. Above and beyond all this, there is a much more subtle effect. In fact, only by judging things in perspective is it possible to realize what underlies the current crisis: The need for transcending the current system of sovereign states has not been understood yet.
Actually, in building a united Europe, the key question inevitably concerns its unifying principles –in which resides a cardinal distinction between P’s and P’s approaches to justice. In Europe, the principles established and proclaimed long ago as almost universal stand at a turning point. They are understood by all and sundry, but there is no consensus about their application; indeed, concepts such as X, Y, Z, are given divergent interpretations. And Brexit is the worst consequence of such a misunderstanding. Anyway, the future lies there, which goes beyond a simple trade agreement or an additional extension before the British withdrawal. The current need of bridging the divide puts the definitive perspective on our analysis.
A Call for Engagement and Understanding
In conclusion, we should stress the importance of this last assumption. Increasingly divergent points of view regarding Europe are a threat to us all. The result is not simply the multipolar reality that sociologist Merle had set forth. The result is a world of increasingly contradictory realities regarding Brexit. It must not be assumed that, left unattended, these trends will at some point reconcile to mutual understanding and cooperation. Both Britain and Europe deserve more engagement. It is up to us to fortify the key principles –friendship, cooperation, justice- after the British withdrawal. The impact of such a wise decision will result in a better understanding. And only this way the banquet of consequences which awaits London and Brussels will be palatable.