March 22, 2019

#BungaLive: Europe after Brexit

1 hour 50 minutes

#BungaLive. Debate on the future of Europe, held at Queen Mary, University of London on 21 March 2019.

Europe After Brexit: Internationalism or Transnationalism?

Until now, most debates about Brexit have only considered the question from the viewpoint of Britain itself and the shambolic process overseen by the Tory government. However, Brexit raises issues that go beyond the UK – and beyond the nation-state. How should Brexit be considered from the global vantage point, and what are its implications for Europe as a whole? Should left wing parties and progressive movements seek to remain in and reform the European Union, or is exit the better option?

The path to internationalism always led through the nation-state, but European integration seems to open the prospect of transnational solidarity at the continental level, mediated by EU institutions. Does the EU provide the infrastructure for a better, progressive Europe that can be captured and reformed by the left? How viable is the EU as a long-term political project? And if it is not viable, should European lefts seek to exit EU institutions in each of their own countries? What might European solidarity look like in an EU that is cracking apart under the weight of its contradictions?

Speakers:

David Adler, writer and researcher; policy coordinator for European Spring. Based in Athens.

Catarina Príncipe, political activist; contributing editor, Jacobin. Based in Porto.

Lee Jones, reader in international politics, QMUL; co-founder, The Full Brexit. Based in London.

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