Taniel
austerity has been spread thru the EU's name for years, EU commits to econ directives/orientation many disagree w & face domestic protests
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But reducing Brexit to "far-right got its day" not only neglects all this, also ensures huge EU problems continue being swept under the rug.
Anyone who cares about European project should stop blaming capricious/emotional voters & take seriously the EU's many fundamental problems.
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(And I recognize people in these different elections/debates have pointed to different problems. But that's precisely what's never parsed!)
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Instead I'm seeing same pattern as after France/Netherlands/Ireland votes: (1) explain why voters don't get it, (2) figure out how to erase.
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This should be occasion for rest of Europe to discuss how EU can be more responsive, legitimate, accountable, politically legible, contested
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And that's why I'm not optimistic today: I doubt non-UK leaders have any interest or appetite in such a real rethinking of European project.
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Coverage today is so ahistorical/reductive—so here's a book & an essay from friendly critics http://www.polity.co.uk/book.asp?ref=9780745642048 … http://www.pro-europa.eu/index.php/en/at-issue/european-identity/11-j%C3%BCrgen-habermas-democracy,-solidarity-and-the-european-crisis …
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@Taniel Finally, the EU does not seem to be looking for a bypass, unlike with the constitution. It seems to be saying goodbye to the UK. -
@alon_levy 1—Some in UK looking for bypass 2—rest of EU shld neither bypass nor shrug off: it shld actually think how to address disconnect! -
@Taniel In the UK, yes, but Continental eurocrats mostly seem content that England's gone. -
@alon_levy which is what whole thread criticizing! I'm not arguing Leave was remedy, but that EU shld confront longstanding pbs seriously. -
@Taniel No, of course not, but I do think you underplay how Leave was the result of xenophobia, and not opposition to democratic deficit. -
@alon_levy As I've been writing: yes, the tenor/defenders of Leave camp pushed many who're ambivalent about EU (as I am) toward Remain. 1/2 -
@alon_levy But now we are facing a (UK-less) EU’s democratic deficit, which is concerning on its face & sure to create further crises. 2/2
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@Taniel But the Lave campaign was not arguing democratic deficit in the abstract. It was demagoguing about immigration. -
@alon_levy Yes, as I note. But I also explain history of multi-faceted pbs that accounts for some Remainers' ambivalence & must be addressed -
@alon_levy Brexit reaction to diff context. But can't isolate it from long history of EU's legitimacy crisis. And this is convo worth having -
@Taniel I mean, yes, evidently, they're blaming the EU for this, and not just tightening on their own (e.g. that £35k/year rule).
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@Taniel the bigger issue are the national governments. I remember how the Tories fought against a more powerful parliament. -
@Taniel Also Austerity didn't come from the EU, it came from the member state governments. Including the British. -
@tehabe Sure—but more generally most of what the EU does comes from member states. But indirect & hard to control routes are what pose pb. -
@Taniel that is why I'm angry, the intransparent thing is not really the EU but the national governments.
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alon_levy
Thomas
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