Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T10:06:57.869Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Brexit and its Implications for European Integration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2017

Chih-Mei Luo
Chih-Mei Luo*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Administration and Policy, National Taipei University, No. 151, University Road, San Shia District, New Taipei City, 23741 Taiwan, Republic of China.
*
Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

On the eve of 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the UK voted to withdraw from the EU (so-called Brexit). The implications for European integration and EU policies are far from clear and require further investigation. This paper aims to answer: what does Brexit imply for European integration? What messages were sent to the EU from the UK referendum? Did EU leaders interpret these messages and implications correctly and did they respond with the right policy? After examining the competing interpretations, this paper argues that the sharp divisions between different socio-economic classes shown in voting behaviour highlight the imperative of addressing economic inequality and distributive injustice, which are rooted in the structural flaws of EU governance and have been aggravated by the mismanagement of the Euro crisis. To move European integration forward and to keep a ‘political Europe’ sustainable, a ‘social Europe’ making an ‘economic Europe’ more inclusive and fair is required.

Type
Articles
Information
European Review , Volume 25 , Issue 4 , October 2017 , pp. 519 - 531
Copyright
© Academia Europaea 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Major, J. (2017) Speech by John Major at Chatham House on ‘Britain and Europe: A Reality Check’, 27 February 2017.Google Scholar
2. Barysch, K. and Bildt, C. (2016) The big questions after the Brexit vote, World Economic Forum Article, 24 June 2016, available at https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/06/the-big-questions-after-the-brexit-vote/.Google Scholar
3. Politico (2016) Angela Merkel: Brexit could be ‘turning point’ for EU. 26 August 2016, available at http://www.politico.eu/article/angela-merkel-brexit-breaking-point-warsaw-visegrad-referendum-uk-consequences/.Google Scholar
4. Munich Security Conference (2017) Munich Security Report 2017: Post-Truth, Post-West, Post-Order? Munich: Munich Security Conference, 16.Google Scholar
5. Curtice, J. (2016) How Deeply Does Britain’s Euroscepticism Run? (London: NatCen Social Research), p. 5.Google Scholar
6. EU Observer (2016) Obama: Brexit does not mean end of the EU. 8 July 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/foreign/134263.Google Scholar
7. Baalen, H.V. (2016) Reform the EU, with or without Britain’, EU Observer, 20 June 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/opinion/133883.Google Scholar
8. EU Observer (2016) Wider Europe shares Cameron’s EU vision. 7 June 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/news/133723.Google Scholar
9. Raines, T. (2016) What do our neighbours think? The World Today, April & May, p. 14.Google Scholar
10. EU Observer (2016) Poll: Majority of Dutch want EU membership referendum. 23 February 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/tickers/132401; EU Observer (2016) French and Italians want UK-type votes on EU. 9 May 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/political/133367; EU Observer (2016) More Danes want referendum on EU membership. 8 June 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/institutional/133738.Google Scholar
11.An anonymous senior EU official at the Unit of European Civil Service and Social Dialogue of the European Commission received on 26 July 2016.Google Scholar
12. EU Observer (2016) Tusk: Brexit would ‘change Europe’ for the worse. 25 February 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/tickers/132441.Google Scholar
13. Junker, J.-C. (2016) Sate of the Union Address 2016: Towards a better Europe – a Europe that protects, empowers and defends. The Speech of the President of European Commission, 14 September 2016, available at http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-16-3043_en.htm.Google Scholar
14. Oliver, T. (2016) European and international views of Brexit. Journal of European Public Policy, 23(9), pp. 1321. at 1323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15. The Guardian (2016) Brexit weekly briefing: Splits over timing of talks and single market membership. 30 August 2016, available at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/30/brexit-weekly-briefing-splits-over-timing-of-talks-and-single-market-membership.Google Scholar
16. EU Observer (2016) EU wonders how to win back people’s trust. 25 July 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/eu-presidency/134483.Google Scholar
17. Leinen, J. (2016) Red lines for Brexit negotiations with the UK. In O. Bailey, (Ed.), Fabian Policy Report: Facing the Unknown (London: Fabian Society), p. 27.Google Scholar
18.An anonymous senior EU official at the Unit of Directorate-General Communication and Document Management of the Council of the European Union received on 28 July 2016.Google Scholar
19. Civis Europaeus (2016) How to save the EU. EU Observer, 13 September 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/opinion/134935.Google Scholar
20. Maasikas, M. (2017) How the EU can thrive in the time of Trump. EU Observer, 9 January 2017, available at https://euobserver.com/opinion/136475.Google Scholar
21. Reuters (2016) EU needs migration policy, must stop blame game: EU leaders’ chairman. 18 September 2016, available at http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-tusk-idUSKCN0RI27J20150918 European Council (2016) The Bratislava Declaration. Informal Meeting of the 27 Heads of State or Government, 16 September /2016, available at http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/european-council/2016/09/16-informal-meeting/.Google Scholar
22. The Guardian (2016) Hard Brexit will cost City of London its hub status, warns Bundesbank boss. 19 September 2016, available at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/18/hard-brexit-will-cost-city-of-london-its-hub-status-warns-bundesbank-boss.Google Scholar
23. Sobotka, B. (2016) Our common path: EU cohesion, not trenches. EU Observer, 16 September 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/opinion/135121.Google Scholar
24. EU Observer (2016) Fico: EU leaders need to overcome fear. 6 July 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/news/134226.Google Scholar
25. Niinisto, S. (2016) President of the Republic Sauli Niinisto’s speech at the Ambassador Seminar on 23 August 2016. Speeches, 23 August 2016, Office of the President of the Republic of Finland, available at http://www.tpk.fi/public/default.aspx?contentid=349929&culture=en-US.Google Scholar
26. Rosa, B. (2017) Blueprint for a viable EU. The World Today, June & July, p. 13.Google Scholar
27.M. Reilly, the former Representative of the British Office Taipei (2006-2009). Talk held on 15 November 2016 in Taipei.Google Scholar
28. Prouza, T. (2016) Lessons for central Europe: We need more unity and less inequality. In: O. Bailey (ed.), Fabian Policy Report: Facing the Unknown (London: Fabian Society), p. 28.Google Scholar
29. Zalan, E. (2016) EU must protect its citizens. EU Observer, 2 August 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/institutional/134546.Google Scholar
30. EuroNews (2016) Portugal’s PM: Failing to regulate globalization a ‘great failure of the EU. 17 November 2016, http://www.euronews.com/2016/11/17/failing-to-regulate-globalisation-is-a-great-failure-of-the-european-union.Google Scholar
31. Letta, E. (2016) The EU must relaunch or die. The Word Today, August and September 2016, p. 24.Google Scholar
32. Blanke, J. (2016) 3 factors that could hold Europe together. Research Paper of World Economic Forum, 27 June 2016, available at https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/06/after-brexit-why-europe-matters-and-what-it-must-do-to-survive/.Google Scholar
33. International Labour Organization (2016) World Employment Social Outlook (Geneva: ILO), pp. 3–4, 10–17.Google Scholar
34.F. Gomezmartos, Head of the Unit of Relations with National Parliament of European Parliament, talk on 9 May 2016 in Taipei.Google Scholar
35. Tsipras, A. and Costa, A. (2016) Prime Minister Office of Portuguese Republic, Joint Statement of the Prime Ministers of Greece and Portugal, issued on 11 April 2016, http://www.portugal.gov.pt/en/prime-minister/documents/20160411-pm-pm-grecia-dec-ingles.aspx.Google Scholar
36. Maurice, E. (2016) EU legitimacy in question. Europe in Review 2016, December 2016, pp. 20–21.Google Scholar
37. Taylor, A. (2016) How to reinvent the EU in the age of populism. EU Observer, 14 December 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/opinion/136256.Google Scholar
38. Politico (2016) How Brexit will change the world. 25 June 2016, available at http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/06/brexit-change-europe-britain-us-politics-213990.Google Scholar
39.J. Zielonka, Professor of European Politics at Oxford University, talk held on 8 August 2016 in Taipei.Google Scholar
40. Lang, F. (2016) Stop the hysteria over Germany’s little election. EU Observer, 7 September 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/opinion/134952.Google Scholar
41. Pew Research Center (2016) Euroskepticism Beyond Brexit: Significant Opposition in Key European Countries to An Ever Closer EU (Washington, DC: Pew Research Center), p. 6.Google Scholar
42. Fligstein, N., Polyakova, A. and Sandholtz, W. (2012) European integration, nationalism and European identity. Journal of Common Market Studies, 50(S1), pp. 106–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
43. Harding, G. (2016) Euroscepticism: The EU’s new normal. 9 June 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/opinion/133747.Google Scholar
44. European Commission (2014) Eurobarometer 40 Years: Effects of the Economic and Financial Crisis on European Public Opinion (Brussels: European Commission).Google Scholar
45. European Commission (2016) Standard Eurobarometer 86: Public Opinion in the European Union (Brussels: European Commission), p. 44.Google Scholar
46. European Council (2016) The Bratislava Declaration. Informal Meeting of the 27 Heads of State or Government, 16 September 2016, available at http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/european-council/2016/09/16-informal-meeting/.Google Scholar
47. EU Observer (2016) Eastern bloc wants fewer EU powers, more security. 26 August 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/news/134775; EU Observer (2016) Tspiras hopes ‘Club Med’ to soften EU austerity. 9 September 2016, available at https://euobserver.com/economic/134995.Google Scholar
48. Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (2016) A Shared European Policy Strategy for Growth, Jobs and Stability (Rome: Ministry of Economy and Finance), pp. 2–8.Google Scholar
49. Holmes, J. (2016) After the vote: Britain’s future in Europe. Lord Garden Memorial Lecture to Chatham House Members, 4 July 2016, London.Google Scholar
50. European Commission (2017) White Paper on the Future of Europe: Reflections and Scenarios for the EU 27 by 2025 (Brussels: European Commission), pp. 15–25.Google Scholar
51. Politico (2017) In Versailles, EU’s big 4 back multispeed Europe. 8 March 2017, available at http://www.politico.eu/article/in-versailles-eus-big-4-back-multi-speed-europe-italy-france-germany-spain/; C. Michel (2017) Benelux vision on the future of Europe. Press release on 3 February 2017, Chancellery of the Prime Minister.Google Scholar
52. EurActiv (2017) Member states sinks ‘multi-speed’ EU to avoid new ‘iron curtain’. 10 March 2017, http://www.euractiv.com/section/future-eu/news/member-states-sink-multi-speed-eu-to-avoid-new-iron-curtain/; European Council (2017) The Rome Declaration. Press Release on 25 March 2017, available at http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/03/25-rome-declaration/.Google Scholar