Brexit: The Predictable Divorce?

Back in December 1992, Swiss voters refused to join the EU, and many lamented that Switzerland was going to be an island in the centre of Europe, soon isolated and helpless. Again rejected in 2001 and 2014, potential membership stayed pending until 2016, when it was officially cancelled. Last year, the world witnessed Great Britain choosing to cut loose from the EU. The Swiss were not surprised. 

If there is one thing Brexit is teaching us, it is that no economic and political breakup can happen without hurting. Not a day passes without stories of torn families, aborted career hopes and abandoned plans. The consequences are devastating and heartbreaking, even though Brexit supporters keep repeating there was no other way out. When the relationship loses its balance, it is time for a divorce.

When it had the choice, Switzerland refused to commit to the EU, despite going on several dates along the years, securing beneficial treaties while refusing the downsides of an exclusive marriage. Those who predicted the continental island was going to regret it had to admit they predicted wrongly. Too afraid of losing their identity, the Swiss preferred to wait and see whether they had really missed the boat to their honeymoon. 

The UK refusing to adopt the common currency, the Euro, was undoubtedly a strong move and a very symbolic one. While many countries struggled to counter the effects of the introduction of the Euro, the UK proudly kept their Queen’s portrait in their wallet. The power of the Swiss franc was definitely an argument against the bond.

Similarities can be seen between the USA and the UK in terms of what is at stake, and although the reactions and suggested solutions differ, the idea of sacrificing one’s happiness for the common good is hard to handle for those who think that being patriotic means being separated. The 2017 Catalonia debacle is yet another example of the rise of political and ideological divorces.

A crucial element to its uniqueness, Switzerland’s protective attitude towards its independence dictated the refusals, even when the dowry seemed attractive. Today, many people feel relieved they get to be the shoulder on which to cry instead of the estranged other. They feel sorry for the UK, but cannot help but thinking “We knew it was going to happen.” 

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