Irony of Brexit reality dawning on Britons

A man carries an anti-EU pro-Brexit placard at Parliament Square in central London on September 3, 2016. Britain and EU have agreed on divorce terms. PHOTO | JUSTIN TALLIS | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Currently we take for granted that we can hop on a train to Berlin or Madrid or Rome without passport delays.
  • Many are struggling to comprehend the rise of an ugly anti-immigrant populism on the right.

The relationship British people had with Europe used to be simple.

Yes, we enjoyed the holidays, the food and the wine, but we always saw ourselves as, well, different. Separate. Better. 

When we did cross the English Channel most of us spent our time hanging out with other “Brits-abroad”.

We’d bark English phrases slowly at Spanish shop assistants and Italian waiters because we’d forgotten our high school language lessons or, well, who cares. 

BREXIT TALKS

In short, many of us treated the continent with a mixture of indifference, hostility or arrogance, with a heavy dose of ignorance.

The irony of the Brexit vote in June last year is that the Brits have suddenly become a lot more interested in what is happening in the rest of Europe.

That goes for the 48 per cent of remainders and the 52 per cent who voted to leave the EU. 

Why? Firstly because now, exactly who is in power in the other European capitals suddenly matters a great deal.

These are the people that EU negotiators across the table from us in the Brexit talks will be taking their orders from — and hence a significant factor in the eventual deal we get. 

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

Take the French presidential elections, which completed their first round on Sunday.

There was a confusing line-up of 11 candidates, but Brits have been watching closely and weighing the various merits of the aspirants. 

To help us understand the race, newspapers have been comparing centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron to former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The previously obscure far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon was the subject of heated discussion in British pubs and coffee houses alongside the alleged scandals surrounding François Fillon - flag-bearer for Les Républicains.

IMMIGRATION
And this wasn’t just wistful Europhiles. To help its readers follow the race in detail, the vehemently pro-Brexit, Express newspaper, for example, published articles on how to find live coverage of the tortuous French presidential debates (late night affairs that often go on longer than three hours) with English translation.

Brits are also looking to Europe in an effort to understand the dizzying shifts in our own politics.

After decades of centrist political stability, many are struggling to comprehend the rise of an ugly anti-immigrant populism on the right and the far-left capture of the UK Labour party.

The rise of Marine Le Pen’s Front National party in France and other populist insurgents across Europe has shown us that the English Channel is not as wide as we think.

EU MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Now that the realities of Brexit are sinking in, many of us are beginning to realise the things we may lose in our EU divorce.

Currently we take for granted that we can hop on a train to Berlin or Madrid or Rome without passport delays.

And now that most EU countries use the Euro, our spending money isn’t siphoned off by money-changers in each new country.

Our EU citizenship means that, if we want, we can start a new life as a student in Seville or a barista in Berlin or an artist in Amsterdam. 

That continent of opportunity now seems lost. My generation can just about remember a Europe of grim-faced border guards and tedious customs controls. It seems that Brexit may usher them back.

EU DIVORCE
Most importantly though, the EU made it inconceivable that men and women like me would have to repeat the wartime sacrifices of our grandparents.

With nationalistic forces on the rise across Europe and Brexit loosening the EU’s bonds that prospect no longer seems so remote. 

It’s a pity that the Brits’ new found interest in Europe seems to have appeared too late.

Dr Randerson is a freelance journalist and commentator. He was formerly assistant news editor at the Guardian. Twitter: @james_randerson