Brexit (aka the EU-UK divorce) actually happened. America and the rest of the British Commonwealth were stunned; but Russia broke out the champagne.
A good number of voters now say they were duped and want a do over. By Sunday the 26th a petition to hold a 2nd EU referendum already had almost 3.5 million signatures. But the chance of both England’s Parliament and Europe agreeing is said to be slim or none.
As typical with dissolutions, negotiating the details will take time. Expect two years minimum, we are told. And there’s the custody issue.
England is expected to keep Wales, but Scotland‘s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is taking steps to keep her country in the EU. And some say Northern Ireland may try to stay in as well. Southern Ireland is in the EU so those living in Dublin would have to go through customs to visit family and friends in Belfast. Neither wants a hardened border.
European Reactions
German Chancellor Angela Merkel appealed to fellow European leaders to not rush to judgment, to not make rash decisions. But right now nobody appears to be listening.
Top EU official, Juncker, and Germany’s own Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier clearly were in no mood to go easy on England.
According to a DW News article, Founding EU members talk Brexit in Berlin, Saturday Steinmeier hosted a hastily arranged summit attended by the foreign ministers from Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
DW News added,
“On his way to the conference, Steinmeier told reporters that the vote should be seen as a wake-up call.”
You are right, Steinmeier, the vote should be seen as a wake-up call but not just for the EU.
Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, called on England to invoke Article 50 of the 2007 Lisbon Treaty by Tuesday. Britain’s foreign minister, Philip Hammond, responded that’s for her to decide and no one else. The article states,
“A Member State which decides to withdraw shall notify the European Council” — the remaining 27 leaders of the EU member states, led by EU President Donald Tusk — “of its intention.”
An EU summit is scheduled for Tuesday the 28th of June.
EU’s hard line, in part, was to discourage euro-skeptic copycats. Some had thought seeing the immediate stock market and currency losses would be sufficient. But far right parties in a couple of other countries have already called for their own referendum.
Inner Core and Outer Ring
The DW article indicated Germany and France planned to present a strategic draft at last Saturday’s meeting for a more “flexible union” allowing “individual members to decide on their degree of integration.”
A two tier EU has been debated for many years. Is that too about to become a reality?
Related In the News article dated August 03, 2015
Front pages courtesy of UK’s Daily Mirror and Germany’s Bild-Zeitung.
