International Politics: do they affect America? When asked many students at WFS say they do, say that yes in fact they do, and many  are following the current debate of the UK leaving the EU. Izze Rios ‘18 says, “International politics do affect America because whatever happens in another country is going to in someway affect America.” The Conservative election victory last year began a pledge to hold an in or out referendum on the UK’s membership in the European Union by the end of 2017. This means that once the conservative party won the 2015 election they announced their intention to leave the EU by 2017. Following a deal in Brussels, the Prime Minister David Cameron has announced the country will vote on 23 June on if they should stay in the EU or not. When students at WFS see that the UK may leave the EU usually their first thought is “what is the EU?” The EU stands for the European Union. The EU is an economic and political partnership made up of a collection of European countries, such as Ireland, Greece, France, and Italy. The union ensures that trade can only happen with other EU countries and that all members of the EU mostly have the same type of currency.  

With the UK leaving the EU, world leaders and citizens are convinced that without them the EU will dissipate. Others fear that the UK will lose its international negotiation power. Toby Bulk ’19 says that, “Britain leaving the EU could have dangerous consequences, I’m afraid that it will start a domino effect.” When one looks at the pros and cons, he or she may compare it to a double edged sword. On one end the EU will suffer from one of its most steady members leaving and dealing with the threat of other members leaving. On the other side is the UK dealing with the blowback from the other countries and having to deal with tensions with other EU members. In regards to the UK’s referendum for leaving, French President Francois Hollande said, “I don’t want to scare you, I just want to say the truth – there will be consequences.” French President Hollande is not the only one to oppose the UK leaving as many fear what will become of the UK. Though their are many who are wary of what will happen if the UK leaves there are also those who are in support of them leaving.

So who in the UK is in favor of leavings and who is not? The British public are fairly evenly split, according to the latest opinion polls from BBC. The UK Independence Party, which won the most recent European elections, campaigns for Britain’s exit from the EU. About half of Conservative MPs (Members of Parliament)  are also in favour of leaving. The supporters of the UK leaving believe that the UK is being held back because of the EU. They believe it imposes too many rules on business and they charge huge amounts of money for very little in return. Supporters of the UK leaving want the UK to take back full control of its borders and they want to reduce the amount of people coming to work. The Prime Minister David Cameron wants Britain to stay in the EU. Sixteen on the cabinet also back staying in. The Conservative Party has pledged to stay neutral in the campaign – but the Labour Party, Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru (party of Whales)  and the Liberal Democrats are all for staying in. The supporters of the UK staying believe that the UK gets a boost from being part of the EU. They say it makes trading and selling to other EU countries easier. Those in support of the UK staying in the EU also say that the flow of immigrants, many of whom are eager to work, helps fuel economic growth and helps pay for public services. Many UK citizens think that if the UK were to leave then their status in the world would be damaged. WFS German exchange student, Hanna Strietzel ’17 says, “In my opinion the British exit would result in an economic disaster. Not only the severe loss in currency values but also the destruction of businesses can be expected. The whole process is risky and may not result into what the British government wants. All in all I think both parties would face difficult changes in an already challenging time of crisis.” This quote sums up many of the problems that the public has with the UK leaving the EU.

Both sides have valid points and both sides are preparing for the referendum on June 23. The results of this referendum will have a major affect everywhere. The economy of the countries in and out of the EU will be affected greatly. World trading will be greatly affected by the UK’s newfound freedom and the affect could go either way, good or bad. Many people, even those not directly affected by the UK’s decision, are waiting with bated breath until the referendum.