Britain Must Understand Europe Before Attempting to Rejoin the EU
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/timothygartonash. "If the UK wants to rejoin the European Union, it first needs to understand it | Timothy Garton Ash | The Guardian." June 15, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
Britain keeps talking about rejoining the EU as if it's just about what's good for Britain, but they're ignoring what Europeans want. If Britain actually wants back in, they need to understand how the EU works and convince Europeans it's worth having them back.
Conclusion
If the UK wants to rejoin the European Union, it must first understand how the EU actually works and what other European countries want, rather than focusing solely on British interests
Premises
- Current British debates about rejoining the EU ignore European perspectives and focus only on what's best for Britain
- The EU has many pressing priorities (Ukraine, Middle East, budget, defense) and Britain barely features in European discussions
- The EU already has nine candidate countries seeking membership, including large important ones like Ukraine
- Some EU members would not welcome Britain back, giving the EU leverage in any negotiations
- In a world of competing great powers (aggressive Russia and China, less committed US), middle powers like Britain need to be part of larger groupings
- British politicians demonstrate profound ignorance about how the EU works and what Europeans think
- Successful rejoining requires 'democratic persuasion' on both sides of the Channel, not just in Britain
Assumptions
- The EU will continue to exist and be relevant in 20+ years
- European unity provides meaningful protection against great power competition
- The EU would benefit from having Britain as a member if Britain genuinely committed
- British public opinion will continue moving toward supporting EU membership
- The current British political class can learn to 'speak European' and understand continental perspectives