Millions of people in Britain and the rest of the EU are suffering from chronic Brexit fatigue. After more than three years of political melodrama that has once again revealed the divisiveness of politics it is still not clear how the UK will leave the EU, especially after yesterday’s vote.

The British Prime Minister defied his many critics and managed to strike a deal with the European Commission earlier in the week. However, the UK parliament yesterday decided that the agreement should not be brought up for a vote before an Act aimed at preventing a ‘no deal’ Brexit goes through all the stages of approval. The vote has dealt a blow to Boris Johnson but once again and nobody really knows where the Brexit conundrum heads from here.

Several experts and media analysts have been blurting out warnings about what is likely to happen now that Britain looks likely to leave the EU.

The truth of the matter is that there are no precedents to this historical development. It is often difficult to distinguish between speculative political forecasts and predictions based on empirical social and economic research. The EU political leaders have shown that when it matters, they can put up a united front. In the negotiations, Ireland’s interests were safeguarded, which is good news for small countries that often feel the pressure of political domination of the larger countries like Germany and France.

While British politicians have been castigated for their inability to reach an agreement on the various options of Brexit deals presented to the British Parliament, a few politicians were brave enough to go against their party’s line and vote for what they believed was the most pragmatic way to leave the EU.

In an ideal world, the British people should have the right to vote again over the deal, now that the details are known.

The saga is not over yet. Many still have to experience Brexit fatigue as the various elements of the complex agreement are implemented.

Now that the UK is likely to cross the Rubicon, politicians should focus on reuniting the people in a deeply divided country. They must ensure that the vastly negative impact of leaving the EU is managed judiciously to avoid undue hardship for ordinary people.

The European Commission and the Council have to be equally pragmatic, even if their agenda for the next five years is much broader than managing the aftermath of Brexit. In a few days, the EU will have a new Commission and a new President of the European Central Bank. The Union leadership has the unenviable challenge of inspiring confidence in millions of alienated Europeans who have fallen out of love for the EU and its bureaucracy. 

The Union needs to review its governance structure to enable it to deal with the myriad of tough realities that are preventing economic growth and social integration.  

Some EU studies have indicated that Malta is likely to be the member state that would suffer the most harmful effects as a result of Brexit. It is essential that the government explains where these effects are most likely to be felt and to inform parliament and the public how these adverse effects will be mitigated.

Malta still has critical links with the UK in tourism, education and certain economic activities. These ties need to be strengthened. It is encouraging that the comments made by both local and UK politicians have been reassuring and conducive to a continuation of good bilateral relations.

It is essential for the UK to have a friendly, even if small, country like Malta within the EU to ensure that post-Brexit relations with the Union will be optimised.

While a final decision has still to be taken by the UK parliament on this deal only time can tell whether Britain is driving itself into a wall, as many believe to be the case.

Much will depend on how economic and social dynamics evolve when the drama and political rhetoric cool down, and the British people get down to carve out a future for themselves outside the EU. The acrimonious bickering is likely to continue. The Brexit fatigue will linger on for months if not years as the new relationship between the UK and the EU evolves.

Ultimately, the indecision and chaos surrounding the Brexit process is a warning sign to all other member states against populist short-term strategies which will inevitably harm the country.

Despite its flaws, the EU remains the finest political project of our lifetime.

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