Dr. M.A. Fazal (2016)
Rising nationalism is a threat to international peace and security
Historically, rising nationalism has been a very strong force. Before the World Wars broke out, the French used to shout slogans: "Let us march to Berlin", while the Germans used to shout: "Let us march to Paris". Such spirit of nationalism brought about two world wars. Before the First World War the rulers of Britain, Germany and Russia who were grand children of Queen Victoria and loving cousins of each other (as children they used to play together at the royal palace in Britain when they were invited by their grand mother Queen Victoria) could not stop their countries fighting each other. The force of nationalism was so strong that the British Monarch could not invite the ruler of Russia and his family to Britain even though they faced the threat of being massacred and were in fact massacred. The force of nationalism is rising again across the world. In the U.S.A., the Republican Party candidate Donald Trump (whose political nationalism has achieved success by turning his election campaign against outsiders). He does not exclude the possible use of nuclear weapons. A similar trend is evident in Europe and Britain. In 2016, in Austria rightwing nationalists won the election and brought down the government. This trend can also be seen in other countries of Europe.
In Britain the leader of the Vote to Leave Europe campaign is trying his chance of success by comparing the European Union with the Hitler Regime. Their claim of national sovereignty is a card that they are prepared to play against anyone.
There are people who view the EU Referendum as an unnecessary risk for the UK and the European Union. Thus the German Chancellor Angela Merkel is reported to have said that the vote on June 23, 2016 was designed to placate Eurosceptic opinion within the Conservative Party and has created an extra instability in Europe at a time when it is already facing economic turmoil and the migration crisis. She believes that Britain leaving the EU would be an "ultimate disaster" for Europe at a time when Russia is resurgent, when the wars in the Middle East have led to a huge upsurge in immigration and the threat of a further eurozone crisis (The Sunday Times, May 15, 2016, p.2).
After the Second World War which shattered Europe, the European leaders tried to build a supranational structure of Europe comprising the nation states of Europe (the European Union expanded from 6 member states to 28). Distinct from the ideas of federation, confederation or customs union, the main development of the European Union has depended on a supranational foundation to "make war unthinkable and materially impossible and reinforce democracy" as enunciated by Robert Schumann and other leaders in the Europe Declaration of 1951 and the "Schumann Declaration "(1950). This principle was at the heart of the subsequent Treaties culminating in the Maastricht Treaty (1992) which created the European Union with its own foundation system. This in turn led to the creation of the Single European currency in 1999. The Maastricht Treaty has been amended by the Treaties of Amsterdam (1997), Nice (2001) and Lisbon (2007).
The rising nationalism as evident both in Europe and in Britain in 2016 is seeking to reverse the above development back into the past nation states. If this were to happen national conflicts are likely arise again culminating into another world war. The risk is that a third world war is likely to be a nuclear war as the major parties are armed with nuclear weapons with deadly delivery systems of the present time. Our concern ought to be how much of the mankind would survive such a nuclear world war. This demonstrates the importance of maintaining the current state of the European Union with possible improvements.
Furthermore the planet earth has become a global village. There are issues and problems that can be tackled only globally and not by the nation states within national boundaries. For example, global warming and climate change cannot be dealt with within the national frontiers. They have to be handled globally. The EU is playing a leading role in the world on tackling climate change. That again makes the case for the UK staying within the EU.
THE UK AND THE EU
1. The continuity of the UK as a single state might be at a stake if Britain votes to leave the European Union. The SNP have made it clear that in the event that Britain votes to leave but Scotland votes to remain in the EU, they will press for another Scottish independence referendum.
2.Parliamentary sovereignty over the law as proposed in the Queen's Speech on 18 May 2016 is "unworkable" with Britain in the EU. Therefore the Government was justified in abandoning the idea (The Daly Telegraph, 19 May 2016, p.1).
3. The EU is by far the UK's biggest trading partner. Thus the HM Government document entitled "Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK" (2016) states that while less than 8% of EU exports come to the UK, the EU countries import 44% of the UK exports. Remaining within the EU guarantees full British access to its Single Market. The EU's Single Market has over 500 million customers and an economy over five times bigger than the UK's. The Single Market makes it easier and cheaper for UK companies to sell their products outside the UK, creating jobs as a result. Being inside the EU also makes it more attractive to foreign companies to invest in the UK creating more jobs. Many companies based in the US, Asia and other parts of the world are happy to base the European operations in the UK, because that is (currently) their gateway to the EU market. Over the last decade foreign companies have invested £540 billion in the UK equivalent to 148 million per day.
This picture is of significance not only nationally but also locally. Thus the Nottingham City Council's document entitled "Nottingham Arrow" of Spring/Summer 2016 states at page 8 that it "is estimated that 45% of Nottingham based exports go to other EU countries and 1 in 8 jobs are linked either directly or indirectly with trade with the EU. Currently 26,000 people in work in Nottingham are in jobs linked to exports. This is equivalent to 12% of the people in employment".
4. Security and Immigration
The HM Government document as mentioned states that the UK is not part of the EU's border-free zone. The UK controls its own borders which gives it the right to check every one including EU nationals arriving from continental Europe. The UK Government has negotiated a deal with EU on immigration. In future new EU immigrants will not have full access to certain benefits until they have worked in the UK for up to four years.
EU membership means that the UK police can use law enforcement intelligence from 27 EU countries and will have access to finger print and DNA information. EU cooperation makes it easier to keep criminals and terrorists out of the UK. Since 2004 using the European Arrest Warrant over 1000 suspects have faced justice in UK courts and over 7000 have been extradited.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
In the ongoing debate on the question over the benefits or otherwise of the EU membership, the UK Government makes the point that the EU exists to promote economic security, peace and stability. The EU operates as a single free trading market without taxes between borders. The UK has secured a special status in the EU. The UK has kept the pound, will not join the euro and has kept control of UK borders. The UK will have full access to the Single Market with a say on its rules. For every £1 paid in tax, a little over 1p goes to the EU.
These are all material considerations. However, there is also ethical/moral and philosophical considerations. The world has come to a stage where it can no longer be governed by nationalism. Europe together with Britain should no longer be allowed to revert back to nation-states which could lead to world wars. That might expose the world to nuclear world wars with no chance for the survival of the mankind as a whole. The choice is between the good and evil. Nationalism is a vice, not a virtue. That is the consideration that should lead us to proper decision on the EU Referendum on 23 June 2016.
