Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/697149
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 JUNE 2016 2 Brexit www.visitgozo.com MINISTRY FOR GOZO Inaugural Season June - September 2016 For more information visit our Facebook page Cittadellagozo Brexit: own goal or a new beginning? SOME have described it as Inde- pendence Day, others have said it was the worst day of their life. Brexit divided a nation and could now lead to the disintegration of both the EU and the UK. Speaking to MaltaToday hours after the referendum result was is- sued, Maltese academic John Bal- dacchino said Brexit was long in coming and it is a combination of many factors. Baldacchino, who resides in Scotland and voted Remain said that the EU is partly to blame for the result. "The British were al- ways sceptical, but this does not exculpate the EU. The EU has huge problems of governability. It is excessively bureaucratic and it is perceived as a Franco-German affair. And with what happened recently vis-a-vis Greece and the Southern European countries, one cannot blame anyone for seeing the EU in this way." Pointing out that a federal Eu- rope cannot happen without the EU losing its peripheries and keep- ing its Unionist core, Baldacchino warned "there is a huge problem, and unless the member states be- gin to push for reform there is a danger that others will follow suit in Britain's exit. "I wish the EU would change tack. Like Ianis Varoufakis I tend to look at the EU as a problem but also as a source of solutions, but only if there was the political courage from progressive forces to unite and work together to reform Europe," he added. Asked who is the main culprit for Brexit, Baldacchino said there were factors directly linked to the way British politics evolved, espe- cially in the last decade. "There is a past that has seen its own evolution of Euroscepticism moving from Labour in the 70s to the Tories, which split them right down the middle. But there is also a disconnect with the EU. We all know how the EU is split horizon- tally and vertically between several EU member states. We also know that the EU is seen as a bureau- cratic entity 'out there'; and this is a perception which is partly true, but it was seized upon by Euro- sceptics who consistently hid the benefits of EU membership, and exaggerated the problems – even when the UK got more conces- sions than any other member state." Outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron must also shoul- der responsibility, Baldacchino said, explaining that his electoral promise to hold a referendum was both a miscalculation and a gam- ble which "backfired on him and on Britain." Complacency among the elec- torate also played a part he said, but "there was also a systematic reinforcement of the misconcep- tions that grew around the EU, partly to hide the problems caused by British governments in the way they run the economy and more so with widespread cuts which came upon the British electorate in the last few years. "We cannot forget that the notion of immigration as the source of all evils and the EU as the source of immigration was a major narrative that affected a good portion of the working class vote. In Scotland, where immigra- tion is welcomed and is seen as a source of development and wealth generation, the attitude towards the EU was always positive. And this is reflected in how the Scots overwhelmingly voted to stay in," he added. "However in several regions of England, which have suffered the brunt of recessions and cutbacks, this narrative was effective," with many unemployed blaming their woes on immigration. With some Labour strongholds overwhelmingly voting Leave, La- bour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is being accused of leading a feeble campaign to re- main. Noting that the British econ- omy in its mechanisms is robust Baldacchino said it is dif- ficult to tell how Britain will fare out- side the EU. "My fear is that in the immediate future there will be a snap elec- tion and with a weak La- bour Party we'll see a very right wing Tory government which will wreak havoc. This could result in a backlash and maybe a reformed so- cial democratic Labour Party could resurge and rebuild the welfare state." Asked whether Brexit would boost Far Right parties in Europe, Baldacchino said "I think the Brit- ish result is a symp- tom of a larger surge. Britain may seem to be distanced from Europe, but it forms part of that phenomenon. The discourse we have been hearing for some time now reminds me of what one reads in the history of Europe in the 1930s: weak liberal democra- cies, managerial governments, and a Left in disarray. With the move- ment of peoples because of wars and economic imbalances, you have the right conditions for the resurgence of a reactionary Right. We are not going to see black shirts, but the rise of the corporate state is there and we are already feeling the consequences." Some Maltese expats feeling 'unwelcome' Similarly to Baldacchino, UK- based accountant Edward Fenech and his family voted Remain and in comments to MaltaToday he expressed bitter disappointment at the outcome. "The economic reasons for staying are overwhelming. The country that conceived the single market has effectively disowned it. However the major reason we voted IN is because we truly be- lieve in the EU as a force for good, peace, stability and equality. De- spite the problems of Europe it is still the brightest light on the planet. As my daughter Victoria recently posted – on Facebook of course – 'the EU isn't perfect but no family is'." Fenech said the decision seems to be a massive own goal for Brit- ain, and asked how the Maltese expats will be affected, he said "we don't know, that is the issue. Those who have a passport or are entitled to get one be- cause of five- year residency will have the same rights as the Brits. Those who do not will be living in limbo for some time. The mood of the Maltese people I have chatted to is not good. Some already feel that they are living in a country that no longer wel- comes them." Fenech, who is head of product at a leading accountancy software company, added that "the really sad part to this story is that the people voting to leave have been voting on reasons that are, in some respects, pathetic. The dis- course is that there is too much bureaucracy and control, but when you actually ask people what they mean they have no reply. John Baldacchino: 'The right conditions exist for the resurgence of a reactionary Right' Edward Fenech: 'Brexit is looking increasingly like a con, with Boris Johnson playing chief clown' ILLUSTRATION BY MARK SCICLUNA