BREXIT AS THE OUTCOME OF THE AMBIVALENT BRITISH POLICY TOWARDS EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

PETROVIĆ Miloš (Istraživač-saradnik u Institutu za međunarodnu politiku i privredu, Beograd), milos.petrovic@diplomacy.bg.ac.rs

Based on the analysis of the political processes and challenges during the United Kingdom’s EU membership, the author aims to depict the continued British resistance towards EU integration deepening. The author analyzes the hesitance towards the deepening of British-European relations through various examples, such as the two referendums on continued EU membership, various opt-outs, and the European agendas of various British governments. The paper also shows that despite skepticism towards integration deepening, the UK was constantly inclined towards EU enlargement, in part as a reflection of the security-defense logic of its transatlantic priorities. The author intends to demonstrate that British politicians have been using numerous political, economical or social challenges during the past decade in order to secure growingly Eurosceptic votes. However, such narratives have resulted not only in greater support for Brexit but have also contributed to the political, identity, regional and other polarization. The above-mentioned facts lead to a twofold conclusion: by withdrawing from the EU, the country not only loses its special status, which used to constitute an important part of the British international role and identity, but also devolves mutual relations and fills them with distrust. Likewise, the author explains that the designing of sustainable and deepened transatlantic relations in the short-term is not particularly realistic, due to isolationist and unilateral tendencies of the current American administration. As part of the scientific explanation, the author uses the concepts of realist theories and intergovernmental approach. For the purpose of an additional illustration of the UK’s resistance towards integration deepening, the author employs the idea of British exceptionalism as a constant political phenomenon.

Keywords: Brexit, polarization, Euroscepticism, crisis, EU enlargement policy, identity, European Union, United Kingdom