Is Brexit a Purely British Phenomenon?
The office of Global Engagement in collaboration with IDRAC is hosting a public talk: “Is Brexit a purely British or European phenomenon?” by a French Scholar, Christian Lequesne.
On 23 June 2016, 52 % of the British people voted in favour of leaving the European Union they had joined in 1973. The decision called « Brexit » in the public debate was a surprise non only for the UK, but for the rest of the EU as well. The causes of Brexit have to do with the very specific relationship UK built with the EU since 1945. This relationship was named by some British scholars a « minimal commitment » or a « semi-detached engagement ». However, the Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU show how difficult it is to leave the EU, because of strong interdependence links. Paradoxically, Brexit has reinforced forms of coherence and cohesion among the 27 other Member States of the EU. In 2018, there is no equivalent movement to the EU in the 27, including in the Member States ruled by populist parties like Hungary or Poland. UK is supposed to leave formally the EU on 29 March 2019. Nobody can predict yet if the British parliament is going to back up the agreement negotiated between Theresa May’s government and the 27 partners. In the final stage of the process, difficulties remain more in London than Brussels.
About the Speaker:
Christian Lequesne, holds BA and MA degrees from Sciences Po Strasbourg and the College of Europe, Bruges. He then got his Ph.D. in political science and his Habilitation in Sciences Po Paris (Supervisor: Professor Alfred Grosser). Assistant, Department of Political and Administrative Studies of the College of Europe (1986-1988). Research fellow and then Professor at Sciences Po since 1988, he was deputy director of CERI from 2000 to 2003, and director of CERI from 2009 to 2013. Director of the Centre français de recherche en sciences sociales (CEFRES) in Prague from 2004 to 2006, LSE-Sciences Po Alliance Professor at the European Institute of the London School of Economics from 2006 to 2008, member and vice-president of the Board of Directors of Sciences Po from 2007 to 2013. He is a regular visiting professor at the School of Government of LUISS University, the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, and the Department of Social Sciences of Charles University in Prague.
