January 09, 2019
What’s Worse Than Brexit? This.
A new referendum could make Theresa May’s current predicament look comfortable.
It’s official: the delayed parliamentary vote on Prime Minister Theresa May’s initial Brexit deal with the European Union is now scheduled for Jan. 15. May has had a brutal couple of months, culminating in a no-confidence vote spurred from within her own Conservative Party last December, which put her in a weaker position than at any other time during her premiership. She even received the dreaded Kate McKinnon treatment on Saturday Night Live, showing just how deeply her predicament has penetrated the news zeitgeist.
But May’s troubles don’t end there, and what will happen next week when she faces Parliament is anybody’s guess. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said there is no room to renegotiate a new deal and told the UK to “get its act together” ahead of the January vote; the long-term question of how to avoid a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland continues to be a sticking point, with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas saying a hard border would be unacceptable to the EU. All the while the Labour Party, led by avowed euroskeptic Jeremy Corbyn, would prefer Parliament vote down her deal next week so that his forces can push for a revolt within her government and move on a full vote of no confidence, forcing a general election.
So, yeah: If there’s one word to describe the current state of Brexit, it’s “ugly.” In fact, short of a hard crash out of the EU—which, absent a deal, will happen on March 29, 2019—it’s hard to see how things could get uglier. Unless, of course, talk of a new referendum becomes a reality.
Read the full article and more in POLITICO Magazine.
More from CNAS
-
Ilan Goldenberg Recaps the Iran Crisis
Podcast
Ilan Goldenberg, Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Security Program at CNAS, joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the fallout from Qassem Soleim...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend & Ilan Goldenberg
-
Rose Gottemoeller on NATO, Arms Control, and a Career in Civil Service
Podcast
Rose Gottemoeller, former Deputy Secretary General of NATO, joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the the state of the Alliance, arms control, and the challe...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend & Rose Gottemoeller
-
Putin Is Following the Game Plan of Other Autocrats Before Him
Commentary
All of the sudden, the transition of power in Russia has begun. In his annual state of the nation speech on Jan. 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin surprised many by proposi...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor
-
The entire Russian government just resigned
Podcast
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the recent resignation of Russia’s entire government — yes, you read that right. Guest Andrea Kendall-Taylor helps the team get a hold on...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor
