Goldstein in La Razon on Brexit
Erik Goldstein, Professor of International Relations and History at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, was interviewed for a recent article on the Brexit referendum and implications for both the United Kingdom and European Union.
Goldstein was interviewed for a December 20, 2018 article in La Razon entitled “Gibraltar, a Hot Spot.“
From the text of the article:
Will the Brussels plan for a Brexit without an agreement prevent a chaotic exit from the United Kingdom?
Yes, the EU plans for a “no agreement” with the United Kingdom will minimize the chances of a chaotic Brexit. The reality that such a plan is announced will now be a blow to many in the United Kingdom. The aspects of the agreement that will not be welcomed include the declaration that the measures are temporary and that the EU can settle them unilaterally. This will make it clear that the United Kingdom is in a very weak, even vulnerable position. Everything depends on goodwill in the EU. Objectively the plan of the European Union is not ungenerous. But it also makes clear that London can do little to shape the final relationship with Europe after March 2019.
Do you think that this new step in Brussels, which adds more pressure to the United Kingdom, will change the direction of the vote in Westminster on the Brexit?
The focus of the debate in the United Kingdom has been an internal question in recent weeks. The question has been what is the best plan for Britain to choose. Little attention has been paid to how the European Union would see its interests affected.
Will the announced plan change the British position on Gibraltar?
Gibraltar receives little attention in Britain, except when there is tension with Spain. With a hard Brexit (without agreement), the Gibraltar issue will once again become a bilateral London-Madrid affair. In the United Kingdom, any discussion of the Rock can become a theme used by some politicians to encourage nationalist sentiment and strengthen opinions against the EU. Also for the DUP of Northern Ireland could be a proof of the will of the Government to defend its rights against Dublin. Gibraltar has the potential to be a hot topic in British domestic politics, even if the governments of Spain and the United Kingdom remain calm.
Erik Goldstein’s research interests include diplomacy, formulation of national diplomatic strategies, the origins and resolution of armed conflict, and negotiation. He has published in numerous journals, including Review of International Relations, Middle Eastern Studies, East European Quarterly, Historical Research, Historical Journal, Byzantine & Modern Greek Studies, and the Hague Journal of Diplomacy.