What can the EU do to contain the risk of the “Brexit”?

• Negotiations will focus on a number of substantive topics ranging from the length of working hours to regulation of financial markets. However, symbolic questions will also be essential.
• The EU must avoid taking steps that would lead to weakening of moderate pro-European conservative wing.
• The main EU message for the British should be: “Stay, your membership is politically as well as economically beneficial for both, you and the Union”.

In 2013 the British PM David Cameron stated that should his political party win the parliamentary elections of May 2015, he would renegotiate membership conditions for the Great Britain and then put the new deal up to a referendum. With the upcoming election, Brexit – Britain departing from the Union – is still a real possibility. This policy brief considers possible scenarios of the after-election development with regards to the potential referendum. The author argues that the victory of the Labour Party would most likely only mean putting off of the referendum. 

Policy brief can be accessed through PDF button on the right.