Information Related to "Britain - Caught in the Middle"
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Britain: Caught in the Middle? |
While
most people on the Continent itself are either enthused about the prospect of
further European integration or at least willing to let it happen, many in the
United Kingdom are skeptical, even fearful, of further European unity. Britons
have long held an ambivalent attitude toward Europe. Some are Europhiles and
others Europhobes, with not too many Britons sitting on the fence.
For most of the last 450 years after the Protestant Reformation, the British
have seen their security and future as lying beyond the seas, away from Europe.
They have held to a determination to stay out of European affairs unless a nation
on the Continent threatened the peace and balance of power in the region (such
as France under Napoleon and Germany under the second and third German reichs).
This started to change in the 20th century, as becomes obvious when one compares
the international interests of Britain's monarchs during the last 100 years.
King Edward VII (1901-10) concentrated on building European ties while his mother,
Queen Victoria, made the empire her main focus of attention.
Edward's son King George V (1910-36) again concentrated on the empire, as did
his successor, King George VI (1936-52). Queen Elizabeth II began her reign
in 1952 with the empire and Commonwealth her main focus, but Europe has become
increasingly important since Britain entered the European Common Market (the
predecessor of the EU) almost 30 years ago.
Some in Britain are committed to the idea of a united Europe. They have had
the upper hand for the last three decades. But others are at best skeptical
of European union and increasingly hostile to it. They see the EU as a threat
to Britain's independence and way of life and are waking up to the full implications
of EU membership-loss of financial independence followed by loss of sovereignty.
The creation of the Rapid Reaction Force and the future of the euro are the
two major concerns for those opposed to the idea of a European superstate. One
could end Britain's close military alliance with the United States, which has
been the foundation of Britain's defenses since the end of its empire. The other
would remove Britain's control over its own finances, effectively transferring
control of its economy to foreign powers-ironically the very powers Britain
has fought the most in the last 300 years.
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Keywords: Britain and the EU European Union and Britain Britain and the U.S.
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