A British view of European integration

Despite its turbulent history within the European family since 1973, the United Kingdom has nonetheless been a staunch defender of continental unity. However, the state's peculiarities and imperial past won out in the end with the Brexit, pushing the British back into an open sea full of unknowns. A look back at a particular vision of political Europe from across the Channel.

On February 19, 2016, after lengthy negotiations, Prime Minister David Cameron announced with satisfaction that an agreement had been reached for a «special status» for the United Kingdom within the European Union (EU). London won major concessions, including an exemption from the general objective of working towards an «ever closer Union». In fact, the UK already had a special position among the then Twenty-Eight, in terms of