After a tumultuous 43-year relationship, the British have voted to exit the European project they joined in 1973. The word ‘project’ is not incidental, since the Common Market of just nine countries the UK joined back then has transformed into a 28-member bloc with greater political and economic integration.
The UK has always been a reluctant partner to this European project that grew wider and deeper over the years. This was evidenced by the exceptions, rebates and opt-outs the UK negotiated and defended jealously at every turn.
And yet, British voters, fanned by decades of Brussels-bashing by their politicians, decided they had enough. Their decision, of course, has to be respected.
For all the acrimony and half-truths exchanged in an intense campaign that split the country down the middle, the Brexit referendum was an exercise in democracy.
At the end of the day the people defied the political leaders of all the UK’s mainstream parties, ignored the doomsday scenario painted by industry bosses and decided to end the current relationship with the EU.
Whether Britain will be better out of the EU still has to be seen, but if the stratospheric tumble of the sterling over the past 24 hours is anything to go by, the prospects do not look good.
The Scottish independence debate will reopen as the unity of Great Britain comes into question.
The result will undoubtedly unleash a whirlwind of economic and political uncertainty in Britain, Europe and, possibly, even the rest of the world.
Malta will also not be spared and the government has done well to pre-emptively identify the sectors and issues at risk as a result of Brexit. But even if the whirlwind will cause damage, it will not be the end of the world. Life will go on. However, politicians and EU institutions are well-advised to realise that the political and social landscape has changed not only for the UK but also for other countries in Europe where anti-EU sentiment runs high.
Politicians would be foolish to ignore the concerns that pushed people to vote Leave.
Immigration remains a big challenge for all of Europe. Concerns cannot be summarily brushed aside as racist by the establishment without providing workable solutions. Sweeping the matter under the carpet will only play into the hands of populist politicians who stoke fear and build myths that are not easily dismissed.
It is unlikely Brexit will solve the UK’s immigration worries. For starters, the UK was not even part of the Schengen area and any future free trade deal with the EU is likely to include free movement of people if it is to be based on the Norwegian model of partnership. But migration concerns are a facet of Europe’s wider malaise.
Years of austerity, imposed, some would argue, by Brussels, have left many across the continent with a deteriorating quality of life.
Millions remain jobless, with little or no hope for the future. In a scenario like this, it is easy to understand why people will use migration as a scapegoat for their woes. They may not be justified to do so but this is what working class neighbourhoods in the UK did and what others in countries like Italy, Denmark and France would likely do if given the chance.
The whirlwind will not go away soon but politicians would do well to understand the forces that created it.
Brexit could very well serve as Europe’s wake-up call.