Humanizing Brexit is Critical and Urgent
“Can the peoples of Europe rise to the heights of the soul and of the instinct and spirit of man”?
Winston Churchill, September 19, 1946. University of Zurich
Politicians must exit the scene
They have done enough damage and created division. The first three months of the application of the Brexit Trade Agreement have been a repetition of the conflictual narrative of the past four years, where politicians have taken an aggressive course and dominated the Brexit process.
Today, we are far from the good intentions of the signature of the Trade Agreement. From the downgrading of the EU representation to the UK to the Astra Zeneca vaccine distribution, there have been many instances that have been confrontational.
In this poisonous context, the interruption of the Astra Zeneca vaccine was considered in the UK as abusive use of the “precautionary principle” of the Trade Agreement, some commentators considering this to be retaliatory. The story might be more simple: the nervousness of the EU Commission on its challenges to distribute vaccines throughout the Union. The countries that took that measure had a genuine concern and immediately responded to the European Medical Authority confirmed its approval of the vaccine. “It appears increasingly clear that the suspensions have as much to do with political considerations as scientific ones”, wrote the New York Times.
A divided United Kingdom
In 2019, the BBC explained that most of the changes — to the deal agreed by Theresa May with the EU in November 2018 — are to do with the status of the Irish border after Brexit. All sides want to avoid the return of a “hard border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit — with checks and infrastructure that could be targeted by paramilitary groups.
Everything was on the table. Once again, the word of the United Kingdom has been questioned in an international treaty, and the European Union will take legal action against the UK over its decision to extend the grace period on food controls between Britain and Northern Ireland, a move Brussels considers “a violation” of the Brexit trade agreement.
On the verge of a possible Scottish Referendum, and a Welsh opposition, England is now insulated in its political opposition to the rest of the United Kingdom. This threatens its unity. According to Statista, as of March 4, 2021, 45 percent of people in Great Britain thought that it was wrong to leave the European Union, compared with 41 percent who thought it was the right decision. In the actual referendum, which took place on June 23, 2016, leave won 51.9 percent of the votes and remain 48.1 percent, after several polls in the run-up to the referendum put remain slightly ahead.
Brexit must urgently be humanized
People have suffered enough. It is time to put Brexit in the hands of those who actually are implementing it. Until further notice, it is that law of the land. It is critical to abandon the hostile rhetoric and reconcile the people.
Yes, Europeans like the United Kingdom with which they have a feeling of fraternity, common history, and joined values. They want to access the UK as easily as possible to visit, work or simply enjoy. And vice versa, toxic politics has not decreased the interest of UK citizens to discover the beauty and diversity of the European continent.
This sense of belonging to the same continent cannot be exacerbated by political hatred. The attacks from the beginning of 2021 were unilateral and lacked empathy.
Be fair to the young generation
It is particularly clear from the young generation that did not support Brexit. They want to keep their unique links with European citizens, they would have loved to continue the Erasmus project facilitating intra-EU studies, easy travel, and work in other European countries.
It goes beyond this profound feeling of commonality. Europe and the UK share a passion for policies that will reduce the risks of climate change. Take for example the environmental disaster such as the Iceland volcanoes; the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe. The Chernobyl explosion sent radioactive radiations across the continent.
The pressure on Europe from refugees did not stop at the English Channel. It affects the whole continent and it is critical that the EU and the UK coordinate their action with the right policies and humanitarian considerations. The Calais debacle should not repeat itself.
More than the previous generation they are concerned about the security of their countries in front of terrorism, war, and nuclear risks. There is absolutely no risk for the two parties to diverge on that.
It is time to accept reality and let the real actors take a stake in it.
