07.03.2019 - 12:40 [ the Full Brexit ]

The Folly of “Remain and Reform”: Why the EU is Impervious to Change

Ever since Britain’s EU referendum was called there has been a chorus of voices calling on the country to “remain and reform” (R&R) the EU from within. Prime Minister David Cameron was the first to try this, returning from Brussels with some meagre concessions that played no part in the subsequent referendum campaign. Since the vote to Leave, R&R arguments have come from two main groups. The first comprises those who saw little fault in the EU before 2016, and some who probably still don’t, and propose R&R as a sop to Leave voters as part of a campaign to stop Brexit. In the second camp are self-declared leftists, who urge Britain to stay and fight for a socialist EU. This includes commentators like Paul Mason, various lefty academics, and Yannis Varoufakis and his “DiEM 25” movement, which seeks to mobilise reformists across Europe.