Tuesday, July 18, 2017

The EU Falling Apart? Theoretical Discussions of Brexit, Grexit and Other Exit Scenarios

I have a chapter in the recently published in ‘Solidarity in the European Union: A Fundamental Value in Crisis’ edited by Andreas Grimmel and Susanne My Giang.

Abstract: The contribution by Tim Oliver studies the theoretical discussions of Brexit, Grexit and other exit scenarios. Oliver starts from the fact that the UK’s vote to leave the European Union has presented the integration project with an unprecedented challenge. What this could mean for the EU has been the subject of increased levels of analysis and speculation, albeit nowhere near as comprehensive as that into what the vote might mean for the UK. One concern is that Brexit signals or could begin the unravelling of the EU, eventually leading to its complete collapse and disintegration. To examine whether or not Brexit will lead to European disintegration, this chapter explores some of the analysis into what Brexit could mean for the EU and then explores some of the theoretical debates about European disintegration.