Brexit Britain may become the envy of Europe, says ATILLA DEMKO | Express a comment | Comment

Yet, in this age of instantaneous reactions, some geopolitical shifts require thinking over decades rather than months and years. Brexit is one such change.

Seen in this light, the Brexit process has only just begun. The dominant point of view does not matter; facts matter.

Yes, it is not easy for the British government to deal with a vengeful EU.

The ideologues who dream of a United States of Europe, or of a Federal Republic of Europe, are furious with London.

This dream of a Federal Republic of Europe is strongest in the Federal Republic of Germany, a country whose influence is by far the most pronounced within the Commission and other EU institutions.

In recent years, a far-left ideology has permeated these Brussels institutions, with potentially devastating effects on the future of the bloc’s economy.

Woke environmental policy is proving to be a recipe for disaster for European industry and has led to soaring energy prices.

And no, the EU is not saving the world with its policy either – its share of global carbon dioxide emissions hovers around 10%.

Chinese, American and even Indian policy on emissions matters much more.

The EU is only engaging in an extremely costly message of virtue, led by (mainly German) ideologues.

As a result, not only will the EU fail to attract new technology and investment, but it could kill existing thriving industries, such as car manufacturing.

Rational, competitive and flexible countries like the independent UK can be much more successful in the decades to come than the ideologically driven EU.

Of course, success depends on diligence and hard work, a fact often forgotten in the brave new world of the awakened.

It is not enough to imagine a bright future: you have to work for it.

Much therefore depends on the Conservative government in London.

Without the damaging and increasingly woke EU bureaucracy, the UK is free to exploit new business opportunities, attract innovative investment and pioneer the technologies of the future.

The UK has the chance to prove the doubters wrong.

It may show that true conservative principles lead to a more vibrant economy, a healthier labor market, and greater individual freedom.

Although only a few years have passed, we can already see that the UK has escaped a deeply flawed European Union – an EU that is heading in the wrong direction, and at an accelerating speed.

The EU’s abysmal performance during the Covid pandemic is a symbol of this decadence.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) began the long list of failures by warding off the Covid threat to Europe, just days before the outbreak in Italy.

The European Medicines Agency and the Commission then failed miserably with the deployment of the vaccine.

It was slow, inefficient and lacked transparency.

The UK, on ​​the other hand, has had a smoother and faster rollout of vaccines than the vast majority of EU countries.

This success has not gone unnoticed.

The example of the UK can help those within the EU who are still fighting for a European Union of sovereign nation states, a European Union of common sense and rational reasoning.

Despite the wishes of some political forces within the EU, Brexit is not a failure.

Without the sound and rational voice of the UK, however, the EU could very well become a failure as its institutions sway further and further to the left.

Will others follow?

With a smaller population, fewer global trading opportunities and much deeper ties to the German economy, countries like Poland and Hungary cannot follow the UK’s lead.

But many of us, pressured by an increasingly politicized and aggressive European Commission and an intolerant European mainstream, envy the new freedom of the British.

Be bold and stick to your principles, and Brexit could become one of the most successful revolutions in history.

• Dr Attila Demkó is Director of the Center for Geopolitics at Matthias Corvinus Collegium, Budapest, Hungary. This article is also published on The European Conservative website.