European security

Britain Is Leaving the EU – Will Other Countries Follow?

Even though the U.K. has been an outlier, in terms of its attitudes toward the EU, it is far from alone in harboring people who want to change the direction and nature of the union. The ultimate success of the long-running British campaign to secure exit will have given succour to counterparts elsewhere to continue and redouble their efforts.

To some extent, eurosceptics outside the U.K. have an easier time of things. The use of proportional representation means it has been much easier for them to gain seats in national parliaments. And because vocal eurosceptics are to be found right across the European political spectrum, they have a relatively good chance of making it into a coalition government. They come from the right, the left and even the centre ground, and they already occupy positions of power in Denmark, Finland and Poland.

Citizens in many European countries are also far more used to voting in referendums than the British, leaving their governments in a bind.