Europe would be better off without Britain - opening speeches

Proposers’ opening speech

What would the European Union lose if Britain were to depart from it? The world’s seventh economy? The fourth most powerful army in the planet? A seat in the UN security council? A member of the Group of Eight? Well, yes...

However, the EU would also get rid of British food, British weather and the Imperial Units system (that uses feet instead of the meters!). I guess everyone now is persuaded that Europe would be better off without Britain! (Continues below the fold…)

by HSA

Opposers’ opening speech

It has been a long time since young Mister H fell in love with young Miss K. Their story was not obvious at the beginning because of a history of fighting. But they once dated and now Mister H is the happiest man on Earth. The happiest? Not exactly: for the past few weeks, Miss K seems to be evasive and distant. He is suspecting her of wanting to break up. It would be a disaster for him: his friends would mock him, he would be discredited as a flirt with other girls and his heart would be broken forever. So Mister H mustered the courage he needed and phoned Miss K to tell her that he was no more in love with her and their relationship had to be ended. Tonight, Mister H is definitively sad but proud to have been the first to break up. (Continues below the fold…)

by PB 

Proposers’ opening speech

What would the European Union lose if Britain were to depart from it? The world’s seventh economy? The fourth most powerful army in the planet? A seat in the UN security council? A member of the Group of Eight? Well, yes...

However, the EU would also get rid of British food, British weather and the Imperial Units system (that uses feet instead of the meters!). I guess everyone now is persuaded that Europe would be better off without Britain!

More seriously: Britain is undeniably a great country with great people. It has always been a key country in Europe and around the globe. Yet, contrarily to what its prime minister thinks, it is not “hard to argue that the EU would not be diminished by Britain's departure”.

Britain's departure would be a real boon to Europe, a gift from the gods! Our debating team will explain you why from several points of views: A European citizen (non-British), a British citizen and a complete foreigner (a non-European who was granted a visa to participate to our debate).

Before we start debating, one point has to be clear: the British government CANNOT expect to leave the EU and keep all the benefits (like free trade). Benefits come with rules! Therefore, we consider that if Britain chose to depart from the EU, it would have to renegotiate ALL its agreements.

As a European citizen, my argumentation will be based on two points:

1/ Far from hurting our economies, Britain's departure would actually benefit us and create many jobs (we kind of need that currently)

2/ The European Union has reached a point when it can no longer develop if it doesn't achieve political integration. Britain has always barred the way to such integration and only its departure will allow us to reach the objective of a political Union.

First, let me explain you very simply why the European economy would benefit from a British departure:

For centuries now, the British economy has been one of the strongest around the globe. It is still ranked 7^th in the world. Britain has both a strong service sector (the City) and a manufacturing one (ranked 8^th in the planet (according to Nigel Farage in his speech, [link]). So, you might think the EU cannot afford letting such a powerful country abandon it! Wouldn't the European economy, already suffering from the 2008 crisis, simply collapse?!

The answer to that legitimate question is simple: No, no, NO.

Why? Because the European economy is by no means dependent upon the British one. Less than 10% of the UK economy is involved in trade with the EU [link]. And no EU country trades mainly with Britain. Hence, the European internal trade would not suffer from the loss of Britain.

Actually, Europeans workers (and unemployed) would be delighted if Britain were to depart from the EU: Since this country would have to renegotiate all its trade agreements, process which would take time, British large foreign-owned car industry would shift into the EU. Besides that, sectors linked to the EU membership such as aerospace (Airbus) would move their production to France and Germany [link].

Therefore, from an economical perspective, Europe would clearly be better off without Britain.

More important though are the political benefits Europe would gain from a British withdrawal.

The EU was intended to achieve both economic AND political union. Nevertheless, “Perfidious Albion” has constantly shown reluctance to this political union. It has often blocked negotiations at the European scale, like with the 2005 budget talks. This obstructionism has prevented Europe (which has the potential to be as powerful as the US, the European economy being more important than the American one) from “converting its power into strategies” [link]. Without Britain, Europe would achieve the federalism its fathers dreamed of.  Without Britain, Europe would be a unified and therefore powerful block. Without Britain, Europe would be better off.

Now, Dave (I know you read this blog very often), I hope I have convinced you you are not in a position to blackmail the EU. Herman and Angela (other usual readers of this blog) are trying to make you think they would do anything to prevent Britain from leaving the union. However, they are secretly hoping you will do that mistake ;).

Zoso (HSA)

Opposers’ opening speech

It has been a long time since young Mister H fell in love with young Miss K. Their story was not obvious at the beginning because of a history of fighting. But they once dated and now Mister H is the happiest man on Earth. The happiest? Not exactly: for the past few weeks, Miss K seems to be evasive and distant. He is suspecting her of wanting to break up. It would be a disaster for him: his friends would mock him, he would be discredited as a flirt with other girls and his heart would be broken forever. So Mister H mustered the courage he needed and phoned Miss K to tell her that he was no more in love with her and their relationship had to be ended. Tonight, Mister H is definitively sad but proud to have been the first to break up.

Ladies and Gentlemen, as referenda are in the air nowadays, especially for British parliament, Europe is facing the Mister H ordeal: will Europe reject the UK not because of internal disagreements but in order to keep its pride and to be the « first »? Will it follow the reasoning of an immature and proud 14 years old boy? Some can call this « courage » but is it not only a headlong rush? I strongly hope that Europeans who belong to Schuman’s Europe, a Europe of peace and solidarity, have never had such a thought. Unfortunately, this debate is topical and we should consider it as a way to strengthen the European Union.

Indeed, by Europe, we mean the European Union. But we must be careful. We mean the European Union, not France among the European Union. I can already see the proposing team promoting the greatness of France, the courage of the General de Gaulle who refused UK in the former EU. This is not the debate here. France belongs to the EU and it does not belong to France to reject or not the UK. If France condemns the euroscpectics among the British politicians, French ones have to be role models, have to show the pace of solidarity and collaboration between all the state members of the EU. Thus, we will try to think as a union and not as a state. I hope everyone here would embrace the European dream because it is neither the debate to determine if the EU has a future or not.

However, here is the topical observation: scepticism has risen among British politicians about the benefit for the UK to stay in the EU. European leaders who fight for the EU could feel disappointed and offended, who would not be? But should they take any decision without analysing closely what is said on the other side of The Channel? Let us look closely to this scepticism. First of all, the debate is only political: the pressure on Mr Cameron which comes from a strong opposition but also from the disagreement inside his own party, made him open the debate. It does not come from an economic conjuncture, a social consideration, or a political disagreement with Europe. Indeed, the City is strongly opposed to a break up with Europe. A letter cosigned by Richard Branson (Virgin’s CEO) and Nigel Sheinwald (Shell’s CEO) claims: « The benefits of membership overwhelmingly outweigh the costs, and to suggest otherwise is putting politics before economics ». To Britain, membership is estimated to be up to £92bn per year in income gains, or up to £3,500 for every household. Before considering attacks and outrages, we should have a closer look and a benevolent ear to what it is said and what is not. Did the European leaders feel hurt when Marine Le Pen or Jean Luc Mélenchon criticised Europe during the French presidential campaigns?

However, let us imagine the British claims are not transient, what should Europe do? As Mister H and Miss K, the temptation is great to go outstrip the other’s decision and to break up in order to keep your pride and your honour. But, actually, it does not belong to Europe to choose or not. If Europe does not exclude Greece when the largest crisis of the EU happens, how could it choose to exclude the UK? It is to the UK to decide what it wants for its people. And even if it was down to Europe to choose, one of the greatest commitments of the EU is the promotion of democracy. Would the European leaders organize a European referendum (where the British people would vote) in order to decide or not the UK’s exit? It would be a disaster for Europe’s legendary solidarity and cooperation.

Finally, I can barely see how anyone can feel reinvigorated when one of his relatives leaves him. This was not Schuman’s dream when he foresaw the benefit of peace, democracy and solidarity for all Europe. We have a crisis to solve, great competitors to compete with, please do not play the Sparta versus Athens war when Xersès is knocking at the door. As Martin Schulz said, Europe is a promise: if we do not believe in it, how can the UK?

PB