Before I begin, let’s get one thing straight: the EU is not, and never will be, a democracy. Instead, it provides one of the most hospitable breeding grounds in the developed world for monopoly corporations, tax-dodging money-launderers and white-collar crime. Bloody communists, you might mutter under your breath at such a bold statement. Or perhaps even treasonous. But, dear reader, which of the following sounds more treasonous to you: an institution that denies (and continues to deny) Great Britain a say in their future, repetitively rejecting their objections to EU directives and thus forth denying them of democracy? Or is it a factually correct statement highlighting the corruption of the EU that so many remainers are blind to?
Let’s start with the creation of the European Union, going back to the roots gives us an opportunity to observe that the cracks are not only on the surface, but deep into the foundations. I am going to focus on the (insert number here) main flaws of the EU. first and foremost, representation has always been an issue, ever since eleven of the most powerful white men of the decade created it- most likely in a room drenched in the stench of sought-after cuban cigars. With no diversity among these middle aged, public-school educated politicians, it’s hardly surprising that smaller countries have little to no say in the goings on of the union. Secondly, internationalism; arguably one of the greatest components of the EU, so of course it was plastered across the forefront of the remain campaign. But internationalism is not accessible for all members of the EU. The neoliberalist tsunami that is the EU has single handedly forced austerity onto already failing economies and ransacked democratic governance. Furthermore, when scrutinized under the eye of one looking for a rare shred of reality in our post-truth age, one may notice that the real threat to democracy is not the EU itself, but its European Council. After all, how democratic can an institution be when the decisions made by the European Commission and the Parliament can so easily, and so often, be overruled? And before you jump the gun claiming alternative facts and sourceless data: on 55 occasions, the UK rejected an EU directive, and on 55 occasions, they were overruled – in 2014 alone. See this publicly available document on European Council votes for further confirmation.
However, the European Union is not all doom and gloom. It is clear that both Germany and Denmark have both reaped the fruits of the union when it comes to the economy, but the UK has also had its fair share. Reports from the Centre of Economics and Business Research (CEBR) shows the overall contribution to our economy from exports to the EU was £187 billion last year, and that it could have rose to £277 billion a year by 2030. As well as this, a relatively small country, such as ours that will never again be dominant globally or regionally benefits immensely from being one of the main members of the EU as it gives us a critical power for international influence. The EU also allows Uk nationals to retire anywhere in the European Union, whilst receiving their UK pension. However, this all comes at a price. £13.1 billion* and loss of sovereignty. The EU is an administration that replaces the democratic power of the people for the interests of big business. Leaving the EU will allow us to negotiate our own treaties, our own trade deals and bring back control over laws that preside over the UK.
Revising the EU’s treaties to address the faults within the Union can no longer be taboo. The EU’s structure must change if we want a democratic balance in how it functions, not just as a political organisation, but as an example for the world to follow.
*2016 EU membership fee.
