Following Boris Johnson’s landslide victory in the United Kingdom’s
general election this month, Britain is now on track to leave the
European Union on January 31, 2020. Johnson has a clear parliamentary
majority with which to secure a deal for an orderly exit from the bloc.
Although the UK and the EU now face long and difficult negotiations to
establish a mutually beneficial trade arrangement, Brexit itself is now a
certainty.
What will this mean for Europe? The UK is the EU’s second-largest
national economy, one of only two European nuclear powers, and a
permanent, veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council
(alongside France). The country has always been vitally important to
Europe, both culturally and historically. Whenever Europe’s liberty and
security have been at stake, Britain has reliably come to its defense.
After a great deal of pain and confusion, the Brexit decision is now
effectively behind us. Looking ahead, both sides will have to find ways
to cooperate more closely, particularly when it comes to shaping a joint
security and foreign policy. China and Russia’s geopolitical positions
have not changed because of Brexit, nor has the threat of terrorism
diminished. The collective challenges posed by migration, climate
change, and many other issues will remain, and it will be up to both the
EU and the UK to manage them effectively.
Read more: Toward a Privileged EU-UK Partnership by Joschka Fischer - Project Syndicate
