Is UK Heading for Divorce With the EU?

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In The Media

Carnegie Europe

Is UK Heading for Divorce With the EU?

The EU budget approval summit may be one of the EU’s most bitter fights in years, but there are far more complex and deeply hidden issues on which EU members cannot agree.

By Jan Techau

Published on Nov 21, 2012

Source: Voice of Russia

Carnegie Europe’s Jan Techau spoke to the Voice of Russia on the UK’s complicated relationship with the EU. He argued that much of the exit talk coming from Britain had to do with the country’s current political atmosphere and domestic situation.

Techau explained that the UK has not been able to accept the notion that a wider market needs some sort of regulation to maintain it. He added, “Brits have developed an attitude towards Europe that is totally not in sync with the actual benefit that Britain has, both on the economic but also on the political side.”

He also emphasized the importance of Britain remaining in the EU for both domestic and international reasons. Britain is a much needed counterpart to mainland Europe for its outward-looking attitude, military capacities, and economic model based on free trade open markets and liberal capitalists, Techau contended.

He added that the UK’s apprehension towards the EU is being “carried away by a very emotional kind of moment in their own political development.” Techau concluded saying he hoped the feeling would soon disappear without causing too much damage to Britain and EU in the wider sense.

About the Author

Jan Techau

Director, Europe Team, Eurasia Group

Techau is director with Eurasia Group's Europe team, covering Germany and European security from Berlin. Previously, he was director of Carnegie Europe.

Recent Work

Commentary
Can Europe Trust the United States Again?
- Nathalie Tocci, Jan Techau
Commentary
Pre-Reformation Europe and the Coming Schism
- Jan Techau

EU Europe

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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