Why Brexit Matters for America
Peter Harris
Politics, Europe
Washington's ally might be about to make a reckless move.
It’s official. After months of negotiations with his European counterparts, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that a referendum on Britain’s membership in the European Union (EU) will take place in June of this year. The impending vote will have important implications for Britain and the rest of Europe, of course, but it also poses significant difficulties for U.S. foreign policy and the transatlantic relationship, too—and not only if the British people opt for “Brexit.”
The United States has supported the goals of political and economic integration in Western Europe ever since the end of World War II. Since 1989, the policy has been to support European integration more generally—that is, the incorporation of former communist countries into a pan-European political community. And throughout, the United States has lent strong support to British participation in the European project.
The reason is simple: Britain is regarded as being closer to the U.S. in terms of policy preferences than most other European states, especially the historic drivers of European integration, France and Germany. Britain’s “Anglo-Saxon” economic philosophy, the English language, and strong historical and cultural links with America—not to mention a recent history of integrated foreign policies in the realms of intelligence sharing, nuclear technology and war fighting—combine to make Britain a natural conduit for the U.S. when it comes to influencing European politics.
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