Wading into the Brexit debate I authored a multi-viewpointed article for Parallax about the security implications of Britain's possibly leaving the EU via the June 23rd Referendum. My article was paired with one by Jared Metzker about why Obama has 'had the temerity' to strongly cajole Britain to remain in the Union. Together these two pieces constitute a special issue addressing the question, "Would Brexit Lead to Global Disruption?"
The Perspectives
is a Professor of the History of International Relations at Cambridge and the founder of the Project for Democratic Union. He believes that Brexit would start a chain reaction that would pose grave security threats for the West. Simms says that the E.U. is in a shaky state, and needs to establish a shared identity as a cohesive "United States of Europe" in order to survive against threats like Russia, ISIS, economic instability, and right-wing extremism. According to Simms, Brexit could be a devastating blow to that union, ultimately creating a power vacuum on the continent.
is the Senior Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund. He thinks that Brexit would be largely neutral for British and European security. "I don't think Brexit would have many immediate implications in the security field, because NATO - and not the E.U. - is the primary vehicle for dealing with European defense," Kundnani said. He explained that the bigger threat from Brexit is empowering Germany. "The stronger Germany is perceived to be, the weaker it will be in actuality as coalitions of other member states gang up against it."
, author and head of the Leave Alliance, calls for a market-based method of British departure called "Flexit."
North believes there is a core contradiction in E.U. policy-making, as each member country has developed under different historical circumstances. This leads to a slow and often ineffective political process as one size does not fit all. North notes foreign policy failures in Libya and the Syrian refugee crisis as examples. He advocates a British "Leave" vote, so that the U.K. can make policy more effectively.