By Hanif Ghaffari

A deadlock in relations between Britain and Europe 

January 8, 2018 - 9:40
2018; the climax of the conflicts over Brexit 

2018 begins as warnings about the effects and consequences of the Brexit have raised in England! In 2016, we witnessed an important referendum in this country.

According to the official results of the referendum, supporters of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union could win 52% of the vote against 48% of the opposition. In such a situation, Theresa May's government in London is obliged to pursue the exit of her country from the United Europe. However, polls that were conducted in 2017 in the UK indicate that British citizens are currently opposed to leaving the United Europe. Most of the surveys show that the balance of favoritism towards Brexit has changed for the benefit of its opponents. However, the British prime minister has stated that it is not possible to change citizens' votes and that the country must leave the European Union. What is certain is that the dispute between England and Europe will enter a new phase in 2018.

On the one hand, the British authorities have sought to reach a mutual agreement with the United Europe. And on the other hand, the European Union is also trying not to give Britain a big advantage on this deal. The insistence of the two sides on their positions has created a stalemate in the British economic and political equations.

Now many British citizens can see no clear economic prospect for themselves and their country. They consider their economic future to be dependent on Brexit negotiations, and how they can come to an agreement with the United Europe (as the main trading partner of Britain). This makes the Brexit puzzle even more complicated in the current year.

However, the issue doesn't end there! The prospect of Brexit is still ambiguous for English citizens. Frequent warnings by individuals such as the former British Prime Minister, "Tony Blair", affected the recent negative atmosphere against the country's withdrawal of the European Union. On the other hand, Theresa May continues to negotiate with the European Union over Brexit; negotiations that, according to many analysts of European affairs, go on slowly and don't have a bright perspective. Meanwhile, some European countries are calling for a next referendum in Britain to prevent the country from leaving Europe. However, as noted, the British government has opposed this request so far. Ironically, Theresa May is considered one of the main opponents of Brexit. This is while the British Foreign Secretary, "Boris Johnson", is one of the advocates of his country's withdrawal of the European Union.

In such a situation, the concerns of English citizens about the effects and consequences of Brexit are fully understood. Many British citizens, and even those who voted in favor of Brexit, are worried about the economic effects of this phenomenon. They are extremely worried about their country's economic isolationism, and turning into an isolated player in Europe. On the other hand, the British are worried that they will be deprived of easy access to the European Common Market and the Customs Union. What is certain is that the British authorities have not yet been able to resolve these concerns among their citizens. On the other hand, Theresa May, who will be in power until next year (2019), is about to end the negotiations in any possible way with the exit of her country of the European Union. However, the slowness of the talks shows that the European Union leaders aren't really in a hurry to meet the demands of the British authorities in this regard. On the other hand, European authorities are planning to halt this experience in other European countries by rigorous Brexit negotiations. If Brexit is to be managed with the least cost and consequences, and the British government would be the winner of the negotiations with Europe, other EU member states, and especially the crisis-hit Eurozone countries, will be encouraged to withdraw of this collection too, and that's the very issue the European leaders are worried about.


Another point is that basically, the consequences of the Brexit are not limited to Britain alone. Undoubtedly, the United Europe and even the Eurozone countries will directly engage in this phenomenon. However, European leaders are seeking to manage the developments of Europe after the departure of Britain of their collections. The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, "Federica Mogherini", recently announced that the European Union will continue to be stronger than ever after Brexit. However, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is one of the main Brexit opponents, has warned against the effects and consequences of this phenomenon against the benefits of the United Europe. Blair believes that this phenomenon can encourage other countries to leave the European Union. 

It should be noted that not long ago, the United States President, "Donald Trump", in defending Brexit, urged other European countries to follow the British example as a model! He also considered the departure of other countries from the European Union inevitable. Though American statesmen remarks have been seriously opposed to by people like German Chancellor" Angela Merkel", but there's no doubt in Washington's support for the collapse of the United Europe. The truth is that some European politicians still have their eyes closed on the U.S. stances in this regard. European politicians continue to pursue a policy of tolerance with Trump in spite of knowing that the United States President is one of the main proponents of a repeat of the Brexit experience in other European Union member states. 

The weakening of the European Union and the Eurozone, and the collapse of the two, is one of the main objectives of the U.S. foreign policy. However, the White House would prefer not to openly support the break-up of Europe in order to achieve this goal and continue its indirect support to opposition groups of the European Union, especially the right-wing extremists and parties associated with these currents in Europe.

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