Armenia’s Place and Role in New Europe
Contrary to all anticipations, at the referendum 52% of citizens of Great Britain voted to leave the EU. Europe remained without the European Union, losing its second biggest member, which besides purely European space, it generally has an immense political role in the world. Europe is in shock, however, it was ready to that shock, and steps will follow from the European Union and its members.
Leaving of Great Britain from the European Union will be a serious blow to the EU, as a united organization, and generally, to the united policy of the West. And we need to wait, that in the forthcoming hours Russian propaganda will pass on to propagandist attack of “Europe’s death,” “burial of the European Union.”
Of course, this is a blow for the European Union, however, collapse of the EU isn’t directly derived from it. Moreover, probably, this shocking step will become an impetus for the EU to settle internal issues gathered and deepened throughout years, to overcome blocking of dynamism of the EU life due to senseless bureaucracy.
Europe will overcome British loss, however, it’ll be another European Union.
These events don’t directly refer to Armenia, however, obviously, they’ll have their influence on European policy of Armenia. Presently Armenia negotiates with the EU after the collapse of September 3, around signing a new, surely, lower quality agreement. For now it’s difficult to say how this will be reflected on those negotiations. Maybe direct influence won’t be observed at all. However, definitely, we are dealing with a new reality, which demands from Armenia quite new steps, equivalent to the existent developments.
Naturally, importance of Great Britain wasn’t and won’t be limited by membership to the EU and leaving it. Great Britain has a great impact in our region—the South Caucasus, and pursues both big economic and energy, as well as geo-political interests, which in different periods are expressed by sharpness or visibility of various degree, however, they have always been existent.
It’s clear that the South Caucasus policy of Great Britain within the EU and beyond it may be different at least to the extent that the country won’t need to agree or harmonize its steps with pro-European policy. Or it won’t have to the extent, to which it was a EU member country. This means, serious work should be implemented in Armenia-Great Britain relations as well, which may be accompanied both with challenges and new possibilities.
Referendum held in Great Britain, despite its results and implications, was a brilliant example of democracy, real democracy.
Great Britain’s leading political party, headed by the PM, the ruling elite, on the whole, did its best throughout recent years not to allow leaving of Great Britain from the EU. At the same time, the very authorities, headed by the very PM initiated referendum to leave the EU, being initially against it, however, satisfying the claim of half of the society. David Cameron, British pm, stated in the morning that he respects the decision of the British and will resign soon.
Cameron, his supporters, almost all the authorities of the EU were defeated. Winners were 52% of the people of Great Britain. The EU was defeated losing the Great Britain, but Europe won proving once again that Europe is the undoubted leader of democracy of free expression of people.
Robert Ter-Sargsyan
