这是什么Brexit？

Brexit itself is not a new concept. Since the beginning of the European Union, the topic of Britain leaving the European community has been coming up regularly. Successive governments in London tried to be a counterbalance to Franco-German aspirations for deeper integration. Great Britain has always not been a supporter of close cooperation and the transfer of competences to an institution of the European Union. According to her, the main decision-making institution of the EU should be the EU Council, which is represented by all member states.

The issue of a common currency was also unacceptable to the British. Attached to the pound, they saw no possibility of adopting the euro. All these factors caused a constant dispute with Brussels. Despite this, Great Britain persisted in European structures. Everything began to change under the term of office of David Cameron, who on November 10, 2015 presented a list of demands, the failure to meet which threatened to hold a referendum on Britain leaving the European Union. Prime Minister Cameron's demands were based on:

1. exclusion of Great Britain from the concept of "ever closer union";

2. securing the interests of countries with their own currency against the zone's integration activities, especially in the area of financial markets;

3. the introduction of the red card procedure, which would allow a group of national parliaments to block legislative proposals from the European Commission;

4. further improving competitiveness by reducing the cost of EU regulation;

5. limiting access to social benefits for citizens from other EU Member States working on the islands.

The European Union wanted a compromise with Great Britain and proposed the so-called emergency brake, which was to apply for 7 years, and London could restrict access to social benefits for EU citizens.

The only condition for the entry into force of the agreement was to vote in a referendum for Great Britain to remain in the structures of the European Union. Some of the Eurosceptic group of British citizens described the proposal as a rotten compromise and called on their compatriots to vote to leave the European Union. On June 23, 2016, 52% of voters voted in favor of Brexit.

What will be the consequences of the UK leaving the European Union?

At present, it is difficult to determine what the final effects of Brexit will be. There will certainly be a weakening of trade. The agreements signed by the United Kingdom with Australia and New Zealand will certainly not compensate for the loss of trade with the European Union, and the new terms of cooperation with the United States in this area require many years of negotiations.

Experts estimate that in the long term, British GDP will fall by around 4%, which will be caused by a decrease in business investment and the transfer of some economic activity to the European Union.

Brexit will increase the crisis on the labor market. The departure of workers from Central and Eastern Europe from the British Isles caused staff shortages in the retail and hotel sectors. The lack of tank truck drivers led to fuel shortages during the holiday season and long queues in front of operating gas stations.

The City of London will also suffer heavy losses. Many financial companies have already left them. London is estimated to have lost around 7,500 jobs. The following years may bring further outflow of capital and brain drain.