Policy paper 171

Brexit: between British Europhobia and continental Euroscepticisms

About 100 days after the UK Membership referendum, this Policy paper by Yves Bertoncini underlines that the Europhobia expressed by a majority of the British people must not be confused with the rise in contradictory Euroscepticisms observed in the European continent.

The British vote to leave the European Union (EU) has given rise to a variety of reactions, most notably that of a prophecy according to which the announced “Brexit” would be the trigger of a European construction disintegration process.

Given the many other challenges, in particular external issues, that the EU is facing, and which require a common mobilisation of its Member States and peoples, this Policy paper by our director Yves Bertoncini aims to stress that Brexit is actually a specific case : the Europhobia expressed by a majority of the British people must not be confused with the rise in contradictory Euroscepticisms observed across the continent.

Yves Bertoncini concludes this Policy paper by noting that, even though it must now plan its divorce from the UK, the EU is facing a “crisis of co-owners” arguing over a revision of their co-habitation rules rather than the start of a wave of exits heralded by the future Brexit.

A shortest version of this Policy paper is published in the Octobre-November issue (n° 602) of La Revue de l’Union européenne (Dalloz).