Source: CCTV News Client
On June 23, 2016, the UK held a sensational "Brexit" referendum . At that time, many British people did not take it seriously, and many people did not even participate in the vote. However, the 15-hour "Brexit" referendum had an irreparable impact on the historical process and future development of the United Kingdom. In the past six years, the UK has been at odds with and the EU .
Britain's "Brexit" Road
2016.6.23
The United Kingdom holds a referendum to decide whether to remain in the European Union.
2016.6.24
The results of the "Brexit" referendum are out, with 52% of voters in favor of Britain leaving the European Union.
2017.3.29
The "Brexit" process has been officially launched. According to the agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the United Kingdom is scheduled to officially "Brexit" on March 29, 2019.
2018.11.25
The European Union officially adopted two political documents, the Withdrawal Agreement previously reached with the United Kingdom and the "Declaration on Future Relations between the UK and the EU", collectively referred to as the "Brexit" Agreement.
2019.4.10
Leaders of EU member states held a special summit to discuss the British "Brexit" issue, and finally agreed to extend the "Brexit" deadline to October 31.
2019.10.17
The European Commission and the British government reached a new agreement on Britain's "Brexit".
2019.10.28
The European Union agrees that the United Kingdom will postpone the "Brexit" deadline to January 31, 2020.
2020.1.23
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom signed and approved the bill related to the "Brexit" agreement previously passed by the British Parliament . This marks that the bill officially takes effect and becomes British law, setting the stage for the United Kingdom to achieve "Brexit" from the European Union on January 31. Pave the way.
2020.1.24
European Council President Michel and European Commission President Von der Leyen signed the British "Brexit" agreement.
2020.1.31
More than 1,300 days after the referendum on "Brexit", the United Kingdom officially left the European Union, ending its 47-year membership of the European Union. The two sides entered an 11-month transition period and launched negotiations on future relations with a trade agreement as the core.
2020.12.24
The European Union and the United Kingdom announced that they have reached a "Brexit" trade agreement. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that day that the United Kingdom has completed "Brexit" and will achieve full political and economic independence from January 1, 2021.
At this point, the four-year tug-of-war over Brexit has come to an end. Although the UK has achieved "Brexit" in form and procedure, a series of troubles have followed.
Worries never stop
At first, the British believed that "Brexit" would be a good solution to the immigration problem. In addition, after "Brexit", the UK would no longer have to pay huge membership dues to the EU, nor would it no longer be constrained by various EU policies. In fact, the series of problems brought about by "Brexit" are far beyond people's imagination, and the British have never ceased to worry.
Trouble 1: Lack of people
△Affected by the UK's "Brexit", some fruit pickers who originally worked in the UK decided to "find other jobs" and make a living in other European countries. (Screenshot of BBC report)
Starting from January 1, 2021, workers from EU countries will need to apply for visas with stricter rules if they want to stay in the UK to work. This is actually equivalent to "locking in" a large number of workers from the EU.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that in 2021, the British government issued 30,000 seasonal worker visas, but the actual number of pickers needed was 80,000 to 90,000. "After Brexit, people from the EU will choose to go home. These people are exactly what we need." British farmer Andrew Sturgeon said, "This spring, the large area of asparagus in the Woodbridge area has not "It's a huge loss of income for farmers and it's likely to mean we need to import asparagus."
△British farmer Andy Allen said he was losing money due to a lack of seasonal workers to help pick the asparagus. £50,000. (Screenshot of BBC report)
BBC quoted a British government report as saying, “The labor shortage caused by Brexit and the new coronavirus epidemic has seriously affected our food and agricultural sectors, and suppliers have to watch agricultural products rot in the ground.”
△ Peterson Institute for International Economics data screenshot
The Peterson Institute for International Economics cited data from the British Office for National Statistics to show that after 2018, the number of EU immigrants in the UK has decreased, and the number of EU residents leaving the UK every year has exceeded that of new arrivals. Increased immigration. At the same time, non-EU immigration has not increased, which has reduced the size and diversity of the British workforce and may affect the sustainability of the British finances.
Troubles 2: Fish grabbing
The UK-France fishery dispute has a long history. For the United Kingdom, as early as 2016 when the "Brexit" referendum was held, taking back control of the country's fishing grounds was one of the main demands of many British people in support of leaving the EU. The root cause of the fishery dispute between Britain and France is. Will European fishermen still have fishing rights in relevant waters after the UK leaves the EU? After the UK leaves the EU single market, the fishing issue between Britain and France has become more prominent.
At the end of January 2020, the UK officially left the European Union, including France. The access and fishing quotas for fishing vessels from EU countries in British waters have subsequently changed. In the second half of 2021, the "struggle" between the UK and France over fishing rights intensified, with France threatening to impose sanctions on the UK, and the UK summoned the French ambassador to the UK. , demanding an explanation for France's threat to take countermeasures against the UK, which was the first time in decades that the UK summoned the French ambassador to the UK.
In December 2021, as the UK announced the issuance of additional fishing licenses to France, the fishery dispute between the two countries was temporarily suspended. Come to an end. The EU affirmed the UK's actions and praised the UK's move as an "important step".
Troubles 3: Changing the Agreement
In addition to labor shortages, fishery disputes and other issues, more acute conflicts involve the "Brexit" agreement. itself.
△Image source: BBC
The "Northern Ireland Protocol" is part of the "Brexit" agreement. According to the agreement, in order to prevent the emergence of a land "hard border" in the Irish island, the Northern Ireland region of the United Kingdom will continue to remain. Within the European Single Market and the EU Customs Union, this has resulted in barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. For some time now, the UK has complained that this protocol is too rigid.
△The British government has announced legislation to amend the Northern Ireland Protocol. "Related content. (Screenshot of the British government's official website)
On June 13, local time, the British government announced the relevant bill that attempts to amend the "Northern Ireland Protocol." The British Foreign Secretary said that the bill is used to solve the post-"Brexit" era Some of the existing problems are not illegal. On the 15th, the European Commission launched judicial proceedings against the British government on the grounds that it violated some parts of the "Northern Ireland Protocol".
△Screenshot of " Guardian " report
Some analysts believe that this dispute will intensify the conflicts between pro-British and independent factions in Northern Ireland, and may even stimulate "Brexit" sentiment in the region. The British "Guardian" published an article expressing concern that Britain's "reckless provocation" may trigger a trade war between Britain and Europe.
"Brexit" has satisfied the wishes of some British people, but also made the country pay a price. How heavy these costs are will require one or even several generations of British people to realize for a long time to come.
△British media report screenshot
British "Independent" columnist Hamish McRae wrote on the 22nd that six years have passed and leaving the EU may not have become a disaster as some people feared, but it did bring causing considerable economic disruption and loss of output. The London Evening Standard also pointed out that six years after the referendum, the sequelae of "Brexit" to the UK are beginning to become clear.
On the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the "Brexit" referendum, some netizens could not help but sigh, "Six years after the referendum, this is the complete list of benefits for Brexit (a mess)" " Six years after the Brexit referendum Six years after the Brexit referendum, I am still Feeling angry"; some netizens said, "I can't believe it's been almost six years and no one can say a single benefit of Brexit."
Producer丨Lu Yi
Producer丨Zhao Xinyu
Chief Editor丨Chen Yueqi.
editor丨Zhang Min
