Comment: The Brexit-Blues

The British were surprised by the outcome of the referendum. Then the shock has now given way to Frustration. Birgit Maaß from London accounted for a week, which has changed the country.

Since the Referendum, the Pro-EU visible Demonstration against the Brexit

What a shock. A country breaks, it is split between young and old, city and country, between those who want to remain in the EU, and those who want to get out. A week has passed since the Referendum and still, it feels every Morning when I Wake up as if someone had died: A case of “Brexit Blues”.

For 16 years I have lived as a German in London, this is where I met my husband, our children to the world. I’m home in the United Kingdom: If half the country has chosen the Brexit, it has thus also voted against someone like me?

The world city of London, the world remains open?

London welcomes everyone with open arms – so anyway I’ve felt so far. But this will be also the case in the future? Directly after the vote, the Polish culture was attacked centre in London, British with an Asian Background and EU-citizens reports of racist Attacks. A friend sent a photo: “F… the EU”, a Graffiti on the sign of Deutsche Bank in London. Of course it is a minority that is so radical. But this minority is louder than ever before.

Birgit Maaß is a DW correspondent in London and lives since 16 years in the city

There were many reasons to vote for Brexit, not all of them have to do with immigration. Friends of mine wanted to get out of the EU, you are not not racists, they want me to leave the country. “It’s not directed against you” – it is assured us Europeans in the UK. The day after the Referendum I was in front of the Parliament, reported for Deutsche Welle. A young man came over and spoke to me: “I am ashamed for my country,” he said. Exactly the same words used a few days later, my neighbor. “I hope you lose in the European championship,” quipped my husband – this wish was fulfilled. “We” against “the Other” – is this now our reality?

A week after the vote, I have not accustomed me to this new state. How on earth did it get to this?

Of course the UK has problems

Where I live, right in the middle of London, it takes four weeks to get an appointment with the doctor for specialists even longer. If you are one of these coveted appointments to get hold of, you’re sitting in the waiting room and hear all sorts of languages. Rents are unaffordable. Who wants to buy in London in a house or an apartment, you must put millions on the table. It is obvious that migrants are responsible to some and not the flow of capital from Russia, Asia, or the Middle East. It is easy to forget that EU immigrants pay under the dash more in taxes than they receive in social benefits, and that it is the austerity policy of the government, which has increased the pressure on schools and health system. The Brexit advocates have ignored all these facts.

It feels as if this country, which until recently was considered one of the most stable democracies in the world would virtually implode: the government and the Opposition are without a guide, from the horrors of daily messages, the demagogues dancing on the tables. Scotland and Northern Ireland are considering whether to secede.

The unrest after the Referendum

It is restlessness, discontent reigns. This weekend it will be in different cities, demonstrations against the Brexit, and I fear that not all will be peaceful.

And what a pity that such a pro-European feelings have not broken before the Referendum train. The Pro-Europeans didn’t say much Good about the EU, their main message was to instill fear that the country could not bear a outlet economically. Arron Banks, one of the Financiers of the Brexit campaign, in retrospect, to have feelings, while the Europe-friends have only presented facts.

The Anti-Europeans had emotions – the Europe-friends had statistics. And the Brexit advocates had no Problem with your facts, as it suited them: To finally, a Bus drove through the country, labeled with the statement that Britain is to send each week, 350 million pounds to Brussels. Not a word of it, about half flows back directly into the country.

Clueless Winner

Now, it is clear that the opponents of the EU have no idea of exactly how an independent Britain should look like. And for sure now is, that the saved will not flow of money into new hospitals, such as during the election campaign, it was claimed.

If there is a new Prime Minister, is his or her task is mainly to negotiate with Brussels. Maybe Boris Johnson, until recently the favorite, realised only now what will be a huge task, and, therefore, his candidacy was withdrawn. The soup that he has brought to the country, he does not want to face the music now.

The future scapegoat: the EU!

Will Britain claimed, as by Johnson and his comrades, in fact, also in the future part of the internal market? The signals from Brussels and go in a different direction. It is not clear as to whom the blame is to be given, if the negotiations go according to the Wishes of the conservative government: once Again the EU, you will be accused of wanting to the UK punish.

In these days, the commemorative events for the battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles of the First world war. Unfortunately, has noted in the UK, hardly anyone to the fact that the EU is also a guarantor of peace on our continent. This would not have been missed, then we would probably have no Brexit-Blues.

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