Brexit/European Union Notes for Quiz 10/29

Brexit

a term used to describe Britain's exit from the European Union

Britain (U.K.)

compromised of four countries: Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland

Origins of the European Union

• 1950 - the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) - Belgium/Luxembourg/Italy/Netherlands/France/West Germany signed Treaty of Paris to establish ECSC. • 1957 - ECSC members adopted Treaty of Rome, which created European Economic Community and the "common market". - Removed customs duties on one another's goods • Established common agricultural, transport, customs, and trade policies • By 1986, Denmark/Ireland/U.K. (joined in 1973)/Greece/Spain/Portugal all have joined the EEC. • 1993 - Maastricht Treaty established the European Union.

Schengen Area

• 26 member states signed Schengen Agreement. • Removed all internal borders and allows free movement between participating countries.

The basics of the EU and Brexit (what it is and why it's happening)

• Brexit - Britain's exit from the EU • EU - a political and economic union consisting of 28 member states that share a "single market" • Brexit is happening because Britain held a referendum on June 23, 2016, in which Britons voted to leave the EU with 52% voting to leave and 48% voting to remain.

June 23rd, 2016

• Britons vote to leave the EU. - 52% for leave - 48% for remain

Since the vote took place ...

• David Cameron resigned • Was replaced by Theresa May • Missed deadline of March 29th, 2019 • Missed deadline for April 12th, 2019 • Theresa May resigned • Boris Johnson replaced her as Prime Minister • New date: October 31st, 2019

What's the hold up for Britain leaving the EU?

• Ireland/Northern Ireland Border • Three million EU citizens live in the U.K. and 1.2 million Brits live in Europe. • U.K. has over 100 billion pounds worth of EU commitments • Medical supplies/pets/trade barriers/trade deals • 759 treaties U.K. will be excluded from • Many, many more issues to figure out ... • Soft Brexit / Hard Brexit / No-Deal Brexit

What could happen?

• No Deal Brexit - On 10/31, U.K. is out with no plan. • Hard Brexit - 14 month translation period - Loose relations with the EU • Soft Brexit - transition period - close ties with EU • Another extension • Second Referendum

Why did Britain want to leave the EU?

• Rocky relationship - held a referendum on membership in the EEC in 1975 (three years after joining it) - 67% voted to stay - In 2013, then Prime Minister David Cameron promised a national referendum on EU membership. • Main issues (going in to referendum) - Europe's "sluggish economy" (high unemployment, especially in Eurozone) - Refugee crisis (began in 2015) *EU demanded each member state to admit a share of refugees* - Terrorist attacks in France, Belgium, and Germany spurred even more hostility toward the Muslim refugees coming into Europe. - Brussels (too much authority/too much regulation) - Ordinary people don't share leaders' Euro-enthusiasm.

Three Pillars of the European Union

• Supranational European Communities (consisting of European Council, Commission, and Parliament) • Common foreign policy and security policy • Police and judicial cooperation - The major EU institutions are all located in Brussels (Belgium).

Political Parties

• Tory Party = Conservative Party (includes Boris Johnson) - 288 MP • Labour Party = Center-left (includes Jeremy Corbyn) - 245 MP • SNP = Scottish National Party (wants to stay) - 35 MP • Liberal Democrats (want to stay) - 19 MP • Democratic Unionist Party = right-wing (wants to leave) - 10 MP • Independent Group for Change - 5 MP

Boris Johnson's political standings

• a Conservative • has objectives like cutting taxes to stimulate economic growth • socially liberal on issues from abortion rights to gender discrimination • speaks on benefits of immigration • supports organizations like the UN, NATO, and the climate change pact

European Union

• a political and economic union consisting of 28 member states - members share what is known as a "single market" • created a single market and removed all barriers on trade • allowed for the free movement of goods, people, services, and capital ("Four Freedoms of the Commin Market") amongst European Union members • established the Euro in 1999 (19 EU members [known as the Eurozone] use the Euro)

How he is viewed by people/politicans/how he presents himself

• people and politicians think he's an eccetric, funny/joking person • has a tendency to offend allies like Donald Trump • unpredictable and a maverick • presents himself as having a tendency to be a buffoon

The controversies he has been involved in, especially the issue of Nazanin Zaghan-Ratcliffe

• said in 2007 things about Hillary Clinton looking like a nurse in a mental hospital • when running to become London's mayor, he said specific positive effects of voting for him • accused of making racist remarks • when he claimed that Nazanin Zaghan-Ratcliffe was teaching people journalism, not spying, in which the British govt. used against her

Boris Johnson's background (before he got into politics)

• was a journalist - reporter at The Times before he got fired for making up a quote - edited The Spectator