The UK vote for a Brexit is a huge blow for Merkel, Schaeuble, Gabriel, Juncker, Schulz & Co and for all servants of the banking and investment mafia as well. A majority in the third largest EU-country has had enough of the EU. Especially workers, the unemployed and trade unions have nothing to gain from the EU. This is yet another reason for building a Europe from below, built on democracy and solidarity.
Confronting this new situation, leading EU-representatives only find three things to say: Militarisation, Euro-expansion, laying down their law. This will only serve to sharpen the EU-crisis, forcing millions more to turn their backs on the EU.
Militarisation: On the 29th of June, just days after the Brexit-referendum, the 27 remaining EU member-states discussed a new strategy-paper authored by EU Foreign Affairs Representative Frederica Mogherini, calling for the long term objective of a “common European security and defence union”. Such a “union” can only be created by building an EU-army. Having been militarily active “in 30 common missions on three continents” is cited as the reason for continuing this process with a “step by step development”. We learn from this: There is no money to integrate refugees. There is no shortage of money to militarise the EU. This will create new refugees and new arguments for further militarisation. The ongoing Afghanistan-mission led by German forces has so far cost an amount of 20 to 45 billion Euro, according to estimates of the “Deutsche Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung”.
Expanding the Eurozone: The newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” titled four days after the UK-referendum: “Juncker aims to use Brexit for Euro-completion”. The president of the EU-commission was now “to do everything to end ‚the EU with multiple currencies’”. The new ten points-plan put forward by the German SPD demands “faster progress in building the economic- and currency-union” and “more Europe”. The EU claims to represent “Europe”. In reality, its 508 million inhabitants only represent 60 per cent of the whole European population standing at a total of 820 million people. The split continues: 19 of 28 EU-member states belong to the Eurozone. Nine insist on their own currency. The “common currency” splits in two ways: Firstly in countries belonging to the Eurozone and those who do not. And secondly into centre and periphery within the Eurozone itself.
Making an example of the UK: Immediately after the Brexit-vote FDP European MP Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, representing a huge part of the capitalist class, demanded that there could not be any “British discount”. SPD vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel demanded “no further delays” for the negotiations with the UK. Word is going around in Brussels, that the UK is to be turned into an example in order “to prevent opponents of the EU from gaining the upper hand in other member-states.”
In Brussels and London thoughts about ignoring the Brexit-vote and maybe pursuing a second referendum are being mulled over. This sounds familiar. In 1992 the Danish said “no” to the Maastricht treaty. In 2001 and 2008 the Irish said no to Nice and the Lisbon. In 2005 the French and the Dutch refused to accept the EU-constitution. How did the EU react to this? They kicked their draft-constitution into the dustbin and ratified the Lisbon-treaty instead. The content was more or less the same as in the draft-constitution. The Danish and the Dutch were allowed to hold ever new referenda until the right result (from the point of view of the elites) came out. Exactly a year ago the Greeks said no to EU-austerity. “Unacceptable!” said Brussels. Greece was made an example of, brutal blackmail was executed and Syriza was turned to follow the creditors line.
Today, many EU-politicians‘ reactions point to coming attempts to model the referendum. The course (article 50, EU-treaty) is clear though: One has to wait until an EU-country wishing to leave declares this officially. Afterwards, “the Union will negotiate a treaty with said country about the particularities of an exit.” For this, a time scale of “two years after the declaration” is set. In words and spirit this treaty aims to take it slow when it comes to leaving. The reasons are clear: Both sides have to try to prevent unnecessary damage.
FactCheck:Europe sees the “yes” to Brexit as a further indicator for the deepening crisis within the EU. We are against any policy of making an example out of countries. Also: As deep as this watershed moment may be. Two points remain: The UK will still be a NATO-member, along with the other EU-states. EU and NATO will carry on with their warmongering against Russia, among others. Secondly, the major banks in the City of London will carry on with their large-scale tax evasion. From London, they are running one of the most de-regulated financial centres in the western world. Europe is being ruled over by banks and big business. Here, the term “Europe” certainly rings true.
