“What next for Europe and the UK after Brexit?”

On the 31^st of January 2020, the United Kingdom has finally left the European Union. After three years, numerous debates, arguments, twists and turns, the Tory leadership of the country has managed to strike a deal with its European partners and come to an agreement within its own government.

This is the first time a country leaves the EU and it is of great significance, since it is one of the oldest members. However, the British leadership was never too keen on European integration. Euro-skepticism is nothing new in the UK and the country’s press was for decades habitually EU bashing, with little effort to counter their arguments by the government.

During the EU membership referendum, we have witnessed lots of propaganda and misinformation from the Leave campaign, but also an inability from the Remain side to present convincing arguments to persuade the British public.

They resulted on focusing mainly on Russian meddling, US takeover and numerous doomsday scenarios, for when the UK leaves the EU. The truth is, the country is one of the richest nations in the world and it can survive outside the EU, although surely weakened.

But it is sad that not just the British public, but Europeans all over the continent are failing to realize the uniqueness of the EU as a concept, but chose to fall for populists that bet in their greatest concern of all: their pockets.

All EU bashing is revolving around the most basic instincts of the European populace, their nationalistic sense of identity and their wealth. Money is the reason why many countries chose to stay outside the EU and why the UK decided to leave.

Money is also the reason why others chose to join or are keen to do so in the future. They want to access to the single market, yet once they enter the club, they often forget the obligations they have signed in order to be accepted in the EU.

Few in Europe yet, see the EU as those who worked to establish it in the past. It is the manifestation of an altruistic idea of a united Europe, which arose from the ashes of a continent, torn by war.

Those visionaries who have witnessed its madness and cruelty and lived through Europe’s most shameful pages in history, had as a goal, the unification of our continent. However, since the 80’s, only years after it joined, the UK started deviating from this vision. 

Soon after the “poison” of Euro-skepticism spilled over to other nations and how couldn’t it, since European politics became a fight over interests and money, among our national governments. But the EU as a project should not only a financial one. It is evident that if it is to succeed in the future, it needs the citizens’ support.

And that can only be accomplished, once they get to share the same vision as Europe’s forefathers, plus ideally, have their needs met, their pockets and living standards filled and raised. Other unions operate differently. They have a president, common language, religion and one of its representatives, or a monarch to unite their populace.

What does Europe have, since if we focus solely on wealth and money, we will inevitable fight over it. We need to start promoting our ideals, values and vision among all layers of our social structure, from the poorest to the richest, either that be nations or individuals.

I would be proud if Ireland or Greece ever became net contributors to the EU’s budget for example, because that would mean that they achieved to be considered among Europe’s richest nations, plus they can help others reach the same goal. And that would be an honor.

However, that transfer of wealth can only be monitored through a centralized governing body, just as it happens in other federal or confederal political structures, like the USA. Thus, we need the EU, even if it has itself problems with corruption, lobbying and red tape; we do not seek to dismantle our national governments or parliaments, because our politicians are corrupt, so why do we require this from the EU?  

Our generation hasn’t lived through destruction or war, so we take for granted the freedoms we enjoy. And it is sad to see our willingness to sacrifice them, in order to satisfy the will of the rich minority. Because those will be the ones who benefit the most from the disintegration of the EU, not the average citizens.

The British public was conned to believe that by exiting the EU, they would enjoy more wealth, save their NHS and they could manage the levels of immigration in their country. Straight after they “got back control,” their government announced that they are seeking to attract workers from all over the world, to fill job vacancies.

As for the NHS, it was never in a bad shape because of the EU, rather the mismanagement of the consequent British governments. It was plainly used as a carrot to lure the public and fall in the trap.

  

The country’s leadership simply wants to be free of EU regulation when conducting business, but not for the citizens’ benefit, rather for their own and those who finance their political careers and campaigns, such as the British and American business elites.

Therefore, we can see a very different UK from now on. Surely not a much poorer country, albeit a more unequal one, a tax haven that is competing with Europe in order to attract more businesses. The ordinary British people won’t see much difference in wealth “trickling down” from this shift, rather they plainly lost their EU citizenship and the rights that came with it.

Funnily enough, they haven’t realized that for one year until they finally agree on their future relationship with the EU, during the 2020 negotiations with the block, Britain will have to obey EU rules without having any say, as it lost its representatives.

And that is a far more serious loss of control and EU meddling, something that Norway- the model country for many Brexiteers- must deal with for decades now. But while Norway, a small Scandinavian nation can manage, how will this go down with Britain, a country with global leader aspirations?

In addition, even Norway is looking closely how Brexit will pan out for the Brits and perhaps rethink their position on EU membership. Their EEA (European Economic Area) Agreement will be affected if Britain ever tries to join or get a similar deal.

The EU as expected will play hardball during the negotiations with the UK, which may well be extended for years. It must really. If it allows the Brits out too easily, or with a very favorable agreement, then other member states might seek similar treatment and that will cast the EU’s doom as we know it. Perhaps that is what the UK bets on, however there is little appetite shown for compromise in other member states.

To conclude, the United Kingdom will be fine outside the EU, just as many other countries. Yet, why aren’t we collectively still convinced about our greatest accomplishment as a continent and chose to remain behind nationalist trenches?  As if our greatest enemy to our wealth is poorer European nations and their citizens.

Ultimately, if the UK ever decides to re-join, it won’t happen for another 10-20 years. When they do, they will have to join the euro and Schengen and that will be a much greater humiliation for the British leadership, but perhaps a much necessary one.

However, there is also the risk that the United Kingdom as a country won’t exist in its current form. With a potential departure of Scotland in order to be in the EU, comes that of Northern Ireland too, now that Sinn Fein has gained great support in last weekend’s election in the Republic. 

Leaving a very different country as potential new EU member state, Anglo-centric and potentially met with suspicion by all other member states. Unless, during their absence the EU manages to solidify its structures and become more unified, it is unlikely they will ever allow “little Britain” back in, with all its demands and opt-outs.

“Europe commemorates the Holocaust; however, it still forgets.”

On the 27th of January, Europe marked 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, a grim reminder of one of Europe’s darkest pages in history. 

It is a landmark that demands of us to remember, not out of shame as many see it, but as our duty to our future generations.

Naturally, the extermination of millions of people, not just from the Nazi’s but their collaborators across Europe for simply who they were, should make us feel ashamed. 

However, the purpose of such commemoration, should not focus on making us feel guilty or hate, rather it could be an opportunity to educate and learn to tolerate.

Because even after being exposed to numerous commemorations, documentaries, films and inspiring political speeches about the Holocaust, its causes and aftermath, Europe-although it has made huge progress- hasn’t managed to rid off old prejudices and nationalism entirely.

Even nowadays there is a reported sharp rise in Anti-Semitism across our continent, with Jewish cemeteries being vandalized in France, Germany and elsewhere, but even the UK’s Labour Party, being investigated of its alleged anti-Semitic views.

It is peculiar to think that after such catastrophe, that costed the lives of millions of people-not just the Jews of Europe- people would still see an ethnic group as responsible for all their troubles and problems. So much in fact that they would prefer to align themselves with outright criminal ideologies.

And it is even more worrying, that this hatred spreads to many other ethnic or religious minority groups of Europe. Our continent has become multinational, multi-religious and multiracial and that is a direct outcome of the Holocaust’s legacy.

People for many years have chosen to abandon hate, prejudice and preferred to include and tolerate individuals of different background, as result of the horrors of fascism, nationalism and populism they have experienced. The EU itself was created from the ashes and remains of the old Europe, with a promise that never again would Europeans die in such wars, fueled by hate.

However, our continent is still struggling with its identity and future. And it is not just the Jewish people that are being targeted this time. Islamophobia is also a worrying trend, in addition to the rising xenophobia and Euro-skepticism. Seventy-five years ago, it may have been the Jews of Europe that faced the brunt of our hate, however if we are not careful in the future it could be others.

  

In addition to commemorating the loss of nearly 6 million Jewish lives in the most horrid manner, we could also start telling the stories of others that perished in the same way. And even though the numbers were fewer, their deaths should not be forgotten in history.

With the European Jews, the Nazis exterminated a large part of Europe’s Romani people, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, people with disabilities and their political opponents. According to some estimations, about 1.5 million Romani people have died alongside those of Jewish descent.

Some historians bring that number down to anywhere between 200,000 and 500,000, however the numbers should not be the only thing that we should be concerned, rather the reason and the manner.

Many of them died in concentration camps, while wearing a brown inverted triangle. Others were shot while fighting against the Nazis and alongside their compatriots. Many found a gruesome death, while Nazi scientists were conducting experiments on them, like pouring chemicals into their eyes to attempt a color change.

Yet while the Jewish Holocaust is greatly discussed and commemorated, the “Porajmos” or Romani Holocaust is still not being spoken about, or as extensively studied. There are no films or documentaries made about the suffering of the Roma people those days and even if the German government has officially recognized it since 1982, it has never paid any reparations to the Roma victims, like it did with the Jewish ones.

Perhaps that is one reason why the Romani victims are not portrayed in any Hollywood blockbuster movie, together with the fact that they do not have a strong lobby in America to promote their rights and even worse, not even in Europe-their birthplace.

Romani people are part of our continent for centuries. But even today, they are among the poorest of people, facing discrimination and lack of opportunities in all countries they reside on the European continent.

About 80% of the 12 million Roma in Europe today are living below the poverty line, while in average they live 10 years less than the average European with high infant mortality. Only one out of four Roma people are employed, while fewer than that have finished their education: 20% cannot read or write.

Perhaps if we started viewing them in a different manner, we could end this outrageous discrimination and maybe we could start by telling their stories during the Holocaust, to sensitize people about their rights and cause.

Another group that usually is left out of the commemorations are homosexuals. They do not get as much sympathy, as they are not an ethnic group and nowadays, they enjoy their rights and equality in most European nations.

However, their stories should also be told, as a reminder that hate and intolerance is not always targeting foreigners, ethnic or religious groups. In addition, viewing the unjustifiable suffering that these men and women had to endure, could once and for all silence critics of LGBT rights.

An estimated 100,000 gay men in Germany were arrested as homosexuals between 1933 and 1945, with 50,000 being sentenced. Of that number, around 15,000 of them ended up in concentration camps with a high mortality rate, of about 60%.

Homosexuals in concentration camps faced an unusual degree of cruelty, with experiments being conducted on them, in order to find a cure for their homosexuality or other medical diseases.

Others were forced in having sex with Jewish women, prostitutes or lesbian women, in order to force “normal” sexual desires onto them. Castration, boiling of their testicles and violence driven by the homophobia of the Nazi guards, were often reported.

Many were beaten by other inmates, while Nazi soldiers used to practice their shooting skills, by targeting the pink downward triangles sewn on their uniforms to distinguish them, ultimately killing them on sight. Homosexuals in concentration camps were considered the lowest of the low, classified as “asocials” and the true number of the victims remains unknown.

Again, many would not consider the stories of these men worthy of being told and brought into the greater public knowledge, since the gay community enjoys a great number of freedoms and degree of equality. However, we must never forget how easy it is for a society to slide backwards and what can happen to people of minority groups if we allow it.  

Germany prior the rise of the Nazis, had a vibrant gay community and in Berlin, gay and lesbian bars and clubs were abundant. Just because at one given time, a social group enjoys a certain set of freedoms, it does not mean that it can be taken for granted; sadly, that is why the commemoration of the Holocaust is still necessary today.

It is becoming evident that it should not be focused only on one ethnic group’s tragedy and the injustice inflicted upon them, rather view it as a lesson of what we can lose if we make the same mistakes again. It will not only be millions of lives, of many ethnic or religious minorities, but above all it will be our humanity and some of our most cherished values, that contribute to Europe’s uniqueness and success: our diversity, equality, tolerance and freedom.