One of the most important consequences of the beginning of the Trump presidency is that the last pillar of the old European diplomacy is gone. The new POTUS openly dislikes NATO, will support a new age of economic protectionism (Buy American! Anybody out there remembers this catch phrase?) and is ready to redesign the US foreign policy.
All right, here we are. The UK held the exit-or-leave referendum and democracy worked again. Like it or not, UK leaves the EU and we’re in a new day, waiting for the future to happen.
What will happen now? Prime Minister David Cameron will accomplish to the article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty (see HERE) giving communication of the results of the referendum to the European Council. From that day, a two-year term starts and at the end of that term, if nothing else happens, every EU treaty subscription from the UK will be declared void. If the UK government starts to negotiate with the EU Commission about the said treaties, this period will be extended for the time needed. Cameron could ask to differ the start of said two-years period to October 2016 – in order to hand over the PM duties to a new leader.
This week on FutureLearn is starting a brand new MOOC, based on material from the University of Edinburgh, about the upcoming referendum in the UK.
The forthcoming UK’s referendum about the future of the permanence inside the EU of the United Kingdom is important for all the other countries inside such union and for the perspective of the nations that are considering to enter the EU.
No country opted out before and the future choice of the UK citizens will open a door to unknown lands. There’s no procedure to follow, no legal precedents and no historic references to use. EU is not an alliance based on strategical/military agreements like NATO, nor it’s a short list of economic matters.
Angelo Benuzzi 