BREXIT: The Debate, the Decision, and the Aftermath

The European Union was founded upon numerous treaties and expanded from 6 to 28 member states, with a majority of the states belonging to Europe. Formed under the Maastricht Treaty in 1993 , the EU was an economic and political federation of mostly European countries which began with the objective of fostering their greater collective security and economic development. The EU later developed to become a “Single Market” and allowed its people and goods to move freely between member countries, considering these states as one country.

Since the UK had joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973, the British people approved its membership in the European Union in a 1975 referendum amidst controversies over its relationship with the EU. The movement for Britain’s exit from the EU, dubbed as ‘Brexit’, was started by the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in 1991 to oppose Britain’s membership in the EU. While the bloc worked for strengthening economic integration, speculations over the political union of the UK with the rest of Europe remained strong. London maintained a distance from Brussels’ authority and negotiated for a reduced budget contribution. . .