Great Britain is currently going through a period of upheaval, and it is far from certain whether the state will remain as such.
In 2014, a referendum was held in Scotland on the country’s membership of the United Kingdom. The result was relatively clear in favour of the Remain camp, but the approval rate for leaving was strikingly high among the young population. Today, support for leaving the Kingdom, also in the wake of the Brexit of course, is higher than ever, and this week’s Scottish elections could mark another milestone towards independence.
Finally, in 2016, the Brexit referendum followed, and this time the vote was to leave. It took almost four years of subsequent negotiations before the country finally officially left the EU. For four years, too, the debate has been dominated by this issue, dividing the country. The next few years will show to what extent Johnson’s idea of a Global Britain is feasible.
The situation is most dramatic on the island of Ireland, which remains divided between the Catholic, independent south and the Protestant, British-affiliated north. The issue of customs arrangements between Northern Ireland and the other parts of the country has been one of the central problems and the current situation gives little hope for a positive development in the foreseeable future.
Recent polls now even suggest that even in Wales the demand for independence is gaining sympathy, even if there is currently no clear majority in favour.
The continued existence of the British state as such will probably be decided within this decade.
Simon Dierich 