Dalibor Rohac

The UK’s Global Engagement Begins in Europe

The advocates of Brexit like to paint an optimistic picture of a post-EU Britain as an active, globally engaged power. ‘Who has the parochial mindset here,’ asks Dan Hannan, ‘those who want a global role of the United Kingdom, or those who think that our role must be mediated by Federica Mogherini, the EU’s Foreign Minister?’ Eurosceptics rarely outline the details of the UK that they have in mind. At most, they say that once the UK leaves, the British government could negotiate free-trade agreements with countries overseas – most notably those in the Commonwealth.

But there is much more to international engagement than trade. For a campaign that takes pride in its global outlook, it is striking how much the Leave crowd brushes aside the effects that Brexit would have on the UK’s more immediate neighbourhood – specifically on Europe.

True, Brexit would not affect the UK’s military might, its commitments within NATO, nor its ability to form coalitions with the United States and Western European countries to deal with the security issues of the day. But responding to the security threats facing Europe requires more than just military deterrence. Take Vladimir Putin as an example. His programme of expanding Russia’s sphere of influence in Central and Eastern Europe does not rely on conventional warfare. There is the frozen conflict in Ukraine. Europe also faces a sophisticated propaganda and information war, and attempts to co-opt European political elites through bribery. The Kremlin has also used the exports of Russian energy, most notably of natural gas, as a political tool in countries that are dependent on Russian energy.

The UK has been a force for economic liberalisation on the continent, starting with the Single European Act of 1987. More recently, David Cameron’s government has been among those pushing for the completion of the single market in energy.

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