In Brexit and Beyond: Rethinking the Futures of Europe, editors Benjamin Martill and Uta Staiger bring together contributors to consider the possible implications of Brexit for the futures of Europe and the European Union. Available to download here, the book’s interdisciplinary approach makes clear the difficulties of predicting the potential outcomes of an unfolding process while nonetheless outlining a number of different scenarios and possibilities in detail, writes Anna Nadibaidze

Nadibaidze, Anna

LSE Research Online

Book	Review:	Brexit	and	Beyond:	Rethinking	theFutures	of	Europe	edited	by	Benjamin	Martill	and	UtaStaigerIn	Brexit	and	Beyond:	Rethinking	the	Futures	of	Europe,	editors	Benjamin	Martill	and	Uta	Staiger	bringtogether	contributors	to	consider	the	possible	implications	of	Brexit	for	the	futures	of	Europe	and	the	EuropeanUnion.	Available	to	download	here,	the	book’s	interdisciplinary	approach	makes	clear	the	difficulties	of	predicting	thepotential	outcomes	of	an	unfolding	process	while	nonetheless	outlining	a	number	of	different	scenarios	andpossibilities	in	detail,	writes	Anna	Nadibaidze.Brexit	and	Beyond:	Rethinking	the	Futures	of	Europe.	Benjamin	Martill	and	Uta	Staiger	(eds).	UCL	Press.2018.Find	this	book:	With	a	deal	on	the	post-Brexit	transition	period	agreed	in	March,	the	UK	and	theEuropean	Union	are	getting	closer	towards	building	a	framework	for	their	new	political,economic	and	security	relationship.	At	the	same	time,	both	the	process	andconsequences	of	Brexit	remain	complex	and	uncertain:	as	negotiators	on	both	sidessay,	‘nothing	is	agreed	until	everything	is	agreed.’The	difficulties	of	analysing	the	process	and	possible	outcomes	of	Brexit	are	capturedin	Brexit	and	Beyond:	Rethinking	the	Futures	of	Europe.	The	volume	is	a	collection	ofshort	analytical	essays	that	has	for	its	main	goal	an	examination	of	‘the	likely	effects	ofBrexit	for	the	futures	of	Europe	and	the	EU’	(3).	It	points	out	that	‘neither	the	causesnor	the	consequences	of	Brexit	can	be	adequately	understood	solely	within	theconfines	of	the	British	state’	and	that	the	UK’s	departure	is	‘of	great	significance	forthe	future	of	Europe’	(260).Acknowledging	that	Brexit	is	a	unique	phenomenon	that	needs	to	be	examined	from	amultidimensional	perspective	and	given	the	vast	number	of	challenges	that	the	EU27	need	to	address	during	thetransition	period	and	beyond,	the	editors	make	the	case	for	an	interdisciplinary	approach.	The	first	part	of	the	bookfocuses	on	the	impact	of	Brexit	on	actors	including	the	UK,	EU	institutions	and	member	states	such	as	Germany,France	and	Ireland.	The	second	part	explores	the	effects	of	Brexit	on	various	areas	and	policies,	such	as	Europe’spolitical	economy,	legal	and	judicial	issues,	foreign	and	security	policy	and	democratic	legitimacy,	and	also	offers	ageneral	evaluation	of	the	future	of	Europe.	Overall,	five	main	questions	are	addressed:	1)	How	representative	isBrexit?;	2)	How	do	we	define	European	integration?;	3)	How	to	understand	the	crises	that	the	EU	is	going	through?;4)	What	is	the	status	of	sovereignty	and	democracy	in	today’s	globalised	world?;	and	5)	What	is	the	future	of	the	EUafter	Brexit?LSE Review of Books: Book Review: Brexit and Beyond: Rethinking the Futures of Europe edited by Benjamin Martill and Uta Staiger Page 1 of 3		Date originally posted: 2018-05-29Permalink: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2018/05/29/book-review-brexit-and-beyond-rethinking-the-futures-of-europe-edited-by-benjamin-martill-and-uta-staiger/Blog homepage: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/Image	Credit:	(Robyn	Mack	CC	BY	2.0)With	regards	to	the	last	question,	the	authors	and	editors	seem	to	agree	that	the	effects	of	the	UK’s	departure	onEurope	will	be	significant,	but	the	volume	is	not	for	those	who	expect	a	specific	prediction	of	Brexit’s	outcomes.Rather,	a	variety	of	possible	developments	is	presented	through	different	lenses.	In	terms	of	future	consequences	forthe	European	economy,	Waltraud	Schelkle	writes	that	the	relocation	of	financial	services	from	the	City	of	London	tothe	Euro	area	is	likely	to	cause	changes	to	the	Eurozone’s	regulatory	approach	and	a	strengthening	of	the	euro	inrelation	to	the	pound.	Meanwhile,	Christopher	Bickerton	warns	that	Brexit	is	just	the	tip	of	an	iceberg	of	wider	trendsof	discontent	towards	both	European	economic	integration	and	national	economic	growth	models.	Elsewhere,	AbbyInnes	points	to	a	‘crisis	of	ungovernability’	in	the	EU,	caused	by	the	pro-market	reforms	of	the	last	thirty	years.In	the	field	of	legal	and	judicial	issues,	Deirdre	Curtin	assesses	the	options	for	future	data-sharing	arrangementsbetween	the	UK	and	the	EU,	pointing	out	that	while	there	is	no	precedent	for	the	kind	of	deep	partnership	London	isasking	for,	Brussels	has	been	able	to	find	flexible	solutions	before,	as	in	the	case	with	Denmark.	Jo	Shaw	analysesthe	impacts	on	free	movement,	as	well	as	the	need	to	reassess	the	meaning	of	both	national	and	Europeancitizenship.The	future	UK-EU	relationship	will	also	have	an	effect	on	European	foreign	and	security	policies.	Amelia	Hadfieldpoints	out	that	there	are	many	formal	and	informal	ways	in	which	the	UK	can	continue	to	be	involved	in	Europeanmechanisms	while	also	seeking	to	be	an	independent	‘Global	Britain’,	and	these	interactions	will	have	an	effect	onthe	future	of	European	security.	As	Christopher	Hill	argues,	the	UK	may	not	necessarily	be	‘welcomed	back	to	thecentre	of	[EU]	discussions’	on	foreign	policy	(192).	This	could,	for	instance,	lead	the	way	for	stronger	Franco-Germanleadership	in	this	sphere.Last	but	not	least,	Brexit	has	important	consequences	for	the	future	of	the	idea	of	the	European	Union,	particularlythe	legitimacy	of	EU	institutions.	Euroscepticism	is	not	a	phenomenon	exclusive	to	the	UK.	Many	national	electionresults	suggest	that	citizens	across	the	continent	expect	reforms	at	the	EU	level	and	an	open	debate	on	Europeanpolicies.	As	Michael	Shackleton	observes,	the	EU27	will	not	‘have	the	luxury,	even	if	they	had	the	desire,	to	standstill’	(204).	Brexit	has	acted	as	a	trigger	for	European	leaders	to	search	for	a	common	post-Brexit	European	identity,produce	visible	and	tangible	benefits	for	citizens	in	the	form	of	public	goods	and	enable	people	to	have	a	more	directrole	in	EU	politics.LSE Review of Books: Book Review: Brexit and Beyond: Rethinking the Futures of Europe edited by Benjamin Martill and Uta Staiger Page 2 of 3		Date originally posted: 2018-05-29Permalink: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2018/05/29/book-review-brexit-and-beyond-rethinking-the-futures-of-europe-edited-by-benjamin-martill-and-uta-staiger/Blog homepage: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/The	volume	also	puts	forward	a	number	of	suggestions	for	the	future	of	the	EU,	the	changing	nature	of	the	EU27	andhow	European	institutions	could	be	modified	in	order	to	address	the	feeling	that	‘something	is	rotten	in	Europe’	(10).Kalypso	Nicolaïdis’s	idea	of	‘sustainable	integration’	is	one	such	proposal.	She	defines	it	as	a	‘durable	ability	tosustain	cooperation’	in	the	EU	in	the	long	term,	a	necessary	change	to	make	after	Brexit	in	order	to	reshape	a	Unionof	which	citizens	want	to	be	a	part	(213).	In	another	chapter,	Simon	Hix	suggests	a	model	of	‘decentralisedfederalism’	for	the	EU:	essentially	a	trade-off	where	member	states	would	grant	more	competences	to	supranationalinstitutions	in	some	policy	areas,	while	‘granting	a	high	degree	of	flexibility	and	discretion	to	the	states	in	theapplication	of	central	rules’	(78).Elsewhere,	Luuk	van	Middelaar	urges	the	EU	to	show	its	commitment	to	protecting	its	citizens	by	finding	a	balancebetween	providing	economic	freedoms	and	social	protection	in	order	to	reassure	both	those	who	value	theopportunities	given	by	the	EU	and	those	who	fear	the	‘disorder	and	disruptions	that	the	EU	creates	in	terms	ofmigration,	competition	for	jobs,	or	the	loss	of	national	sovereignty’	(84).Overall,	while	there	is	an	agreement	among	contributors	and	editors	that	Brexit	has	served	as	a	wake-up	call	thathas	encouraged	an	open	public	debate	about	the	future	of	the	EU,	the	diversity	of	the	suggestions	proposed	in	Brexitand	Beyond	demonstrates	that	there	are	many	options	on	the	table	on	how	to	move	forward.	This	volume	is	also	agood	example	of	how	comprehensive	discussions	can	take	place	in	an	accessible	format,	not	only	in	terms	of	itsstructure,	but	also	as	it	is	available	to	download	for	free,	which	opens	the	debate	to	the	non-academic	community	aswell.From	the	time	of	the	publication	of	Brexit	and	Beyond	until	now,	much	has	already	changed	and	much	has	alreadybecome	outdated.	As	the	editors	admit:	‘Studying	Brexit	is	like	tracking	a	moving	target’	(263).	However,	the	bookstill	fulfills	its	goal	of	demonstrating	that	Brexit	has	been	a	critical	juncture	for	scholars	and	policymakers	to	‘rethinkthe	futures	of	Europe’,	while	exploring	different	types	of	scenarios	and	options,	some	of	which	have	not	beendiscussed	before.Anna	Nadibaidze	holds	an	MSc	in	International	Relations	from	the	LSE	and	has	previously	studied	at	McGillUniversity	and	the	University	of	Edinburgh.	Her	research	interests	include	European	and	Russian/Eurasian	politics,international	institutions,	and	discourse	in	IR.	She	tweets:	@AnnaRNad.	Read	more	by	Anna	Nadibaidze.Note:	This	review	gives	the	views	of	the	author,	and	not	the	position	of	the	LSE	Review	of	Books	blog,	or	of	theLondon	School	of	Economics.	LSE Review of Books: Book Review: Brexit and Beyond: Rethinking the Futures of Europe edited by Benjamin Martill and Uta Staiger Page 3 of 3		Date originally posted: 2018-05-29Permalink: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2018/05/29/book-review-brexit-and-beyond-rethinking-the-futures-of-europe-edited-by-benjamin-martill-and-uta-staiger/Blog homepage: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/

Book review: Brexit and beyond: rethinking the futures of Europe edited by Benjamin Martill and Uta Staiger

In Brexit and Beyond: Rethinking the Futures of Europe, editors Benjamin Martill and Uta Staiger bring together contributors to consider the possible implications of Brexit for the futures of Europe and the European Union. Available to download, the book’s interdisciplinary approach makes clear the difficulties of predicting the potential outcomes of an unfolding process while nonetheless outlining a number of different scenarios and possibilities in detail, writes Anna Nadibaidze

Book	Review	|	Brexit	and	Beyond:	Rethinking	theFutures	of	Europe	edited	by	Benjamin	Martill	and	UtaStaigerIn	Brexit	and	Beyond:	Rethinking	the	Futures	of	Europe,	editors	Benjamin	Martill	and	Uta	Staiger	bringtogether	contributors	to	consider	the	possible	implications	of	Brexit	for	the	futures	of	Europe	and	the	EuropeanUnion.	Available	to	download	here,	the	book’s	interdisciplinary	approach	makes	clear	the	difficulties	of	predictingthe	potential	outcomes	of	an	unfolding	process	while	nonetheless	outlining	a	number	of	different	scenarios	andpossibilities	in	detail,	writes	Anna	Nadibaidze.Picture:	Robyn	Mack,	via	a	(CC	BY	2.0)	licenceBrexit	and	Beyond:	Rethinking	the	Futures	of	Europe.	Benjamin	Martill	and	Uta	Staiger	(eds).	UCL	Press.2018.With	a	deal	on	the	post-Brexit	transition	period	agreed	in	March,	the	UK	and	theEuropean	Union	are	getting	closer	towards	building	a	framework	for	their	newpolitical,	economic	and	security	relationship.	At	the	same	time,	both	the	process	andconsequences	of	Brexit	remain	complex	and	uncertain:	as	negotiators	on	both	sidessay,	‘nothing	is	agreed	until	everything	is	agreed.’The	difficulties	of	analysing	the	process	and	possible	outcomes	of	Brexit	arecaptured	in	Brexit	and	Beyond:	Rethinking	the	Futures	of	Europe.	The	volume	is	acollection	of	short	analytical	essays	that	has	for	its	main	goal	an	examination	of	‘thelikely	effects	of	Brexit	for	the	futures	of	Europe	and	the	EU’	(3).	It	points	out	that‘neither	the	causes	nor	the	consequences	of	Brexit	can	be	adequately	understoodsolely	within	the	confines	of	the	British	state’	and	that	the	UK’s	departure	is	‘of	greatsignificance	for	the	future	of	Europe’	(260).Democratic Audit: Book Review | Brexit and Beyond: Rethinking the Futures of Europe edited by Benjamin Martill and Uta Staiger Page 1 of 3		Date originally posted: 2018-06-02Permalink: https://www.democraticaudit.com/2018/06/02/book-review-brexit-and-beyond-rethinking-the-futures-of-europe-edited-by-benjamin-martill-and-uta-staiger/Blog homepage: https://www.democraticaudit.com/Acknowledging	that	Brexit	is	a	unique	phenomenon	that	needs	to	be	examined	from	a	multidimensional	perspectiveand	given	the	vast	number	of	challenges	that	the	EU27	need	to	address	during	the	transition	period	and	beyond,the	editors	make	the	case	for	an	interdisciplinary	approach.	The	first	part	of	the	book	focuses	on	the	impact	ofBrexit	on	actors	including	the	UK,	EU	institutions	and	member	states	such	as	Germany,	France	and	Ireland.	Thesecond	part	explores	the	effects	of	Brexit	on	various	areas	and	policies,	such	as	Europe’s	political	economy,	legaland	judicial	issues,	foreign	and	security	policy	and	democratic	legitimacy,	and	also	offers	a	general	evaluation	ofthe	future	of	Europe.	Overall,	five	main	questions	are	addressed:	1)	How	representative	is	Brexit?;	2)	How	do	wedefine	European	integration?;	3)	How	to	understand	the	crises	that	the	EU	is	going	through?;	4)	What	is	the	statusof	sovereignty	and	democracy	in	today’s	globalised	world?;	and	5)	What	is	the	future	of	the	EU	after	Brexit?With	regards	to	the	last	question,	the	authors	and	editors	seem	to	agree	that	the	effects	of	the	UK’s	departure	onEurope	will	be	significant,	but	the	volume	is	not	for	those	who	expect	a	specific	prediction	of	Brexit’s	outcomes.Rather,	a	variety	of	possible	developments	is	presented	through	different	lenses.	In	terms	of	future	consequencesfor	the	European	economy,	Waltraud	Schelkle	writes	that	the	relocation	of	financial	services	from	the	City	of	Londonto	the	Euro	area	is	likely	to	cause	changes	to	the	Eurozone’s	regulatory	approach	and	a	strengthening	of	the	euroin	relation	to	the	pound.	Meanwhile,	Christopher	Bickerton	warns	that	Brexit	is	just	the	tip	of	an	iceberg	of	widertrends	of	discontent	towards	both	European	economic	integration	and	national	economic	growth	models.Elsewhere,	Abby	Innes	points	to	a	‘crisis	of	ungovernability’	in	the	EU,	caused	by	the	pro-market	reforms	of	the	lastthirty	years.In	the	field	of	legal	and	judicial	issues,	Deirdre	Curtin	assesses	the	options	for	future	data-sharing	arrangementsbetween	the	UK	and	the	EU,	pointing	out	that	while	there	is	no	precedent	for	the	kind	of	deep	partnership	London	isasking	for,	Brussels	has	been	able	to	find	flexible	solutions	before,	as	in	the	case	with	Denmark.	Jo	Shaw	analysesthe	impacts	on	free	movement,	as	well	as	the	need	to	reassess	the	meaning	of	both	national	and	Europeancitizenship.The	future	UK-EU	relationship	will	also	have	an	effect	on	European	foreign	and	security	policies.	Amelia	Hadfieldpoints	out	that	there	are	many	formal	and	informal	ways	in	which	the	UK	can	continue	to	be	involved	in	Europeanmechanisms	while	also	seeking	to	be	an	independent	‘Global	Britain’,	and	these	interactions	will	have	an	effect	onthe	future	of	European	security.	As	Christopher	Hill	argues,	the	UK	may	not	necessarily	be	‘welcomed	back	to	thecentre	of	[EU]	discussions’	on	foreign	policy	(192).	This	could,	for	instance,	lead	the	way	for	stronger	Franco-German	leadership	in	this	sphere.Last	but	not	least,	Brexit	has	important	consequences	for	the	future	of	the	idea	of	the	European	Union,	particularlythe	legitimacy	of	EU	institutions.	Euroscepticism	is	not	a	phenomenon	exclusive	to	the	UK.	Many	nationalelection	results	suggest	that	citizens	across	the	continent	expect	reforms	at	the	EU	level	and	an	open	debate	onEuropean	policies.	As	Michael	Shackleton	observes,	the	EU27	will	not	‘have	the	luxury,	even	if	they	had	the	desire,to	stand	still’	(204).	Brexit	has	acted	as	a	trigger	for	European	leaders	to	search	for	a	common	post-Brexit	Europeanidentity,	produce	visible	and	tangible	benefits	for	citizens	in	the	form	of	public	goods	and	enable	people	to	have	amore	direct	role	in	EU	politics.The	volume	also	puts	forward	a	number	of	suggestions	for	the	future	of	the	EU,	the	changing	nature	of	the	EU27and	how	European	institutions	could	be	modified	in	order	to	address	the	feeling	that	‘something	is	rotten	in	Europe’(10).	Kalypso	Nicolaïdis’s	idea	of	‘sustainable	integration’	is	one	such	proposal.	She	defines	it	as	a	‘durable	abilityto	sustain	cooperation’	in	the	EU	in	the	long	term,	a	necessary	change	to	make	after	Brexit	in	order	to	reshape	aUnion	of	which	citizens	want	to	be	a	part	(213).	In	another	chapter,	Simon	Hix	suggests	a	model	of	‘decentralisedfederalism’	for	the	EU:	essentially	a	trade-off	where	member	states	would	grant	more	competences	tosupranational	institutions	in	some	policy	areas,	while	‘granting	a	high	degree	of	flexibility	and	discretion	to	the	statesin	the	application	of	central	rules’	(78).Elsewhere,	Luuk	van	Middelaar	urges	the	EU	to	show	its	commitment	to	protecting	its	citizens	by	finding	a	balancebetween	providing	economic	freedoms	and	social	protection	in	order	to	reassure	both	those	who	value	theopportunities	given	by	the	EU	and	those	who	fear	the	‘disorder	and	disruptions	that	the	EU	creates	in	terms	ofmigration,	competition	for	jobs,	or	the	loss	of	national	sovereignty’	(84).Democratic Audit: Book Review | Brexit and Beyond: Rethinking the Futures of Europe edited by Benjamin Martill and Uta Staiger Page 2 of 3		Date originally posted: 2018-06-02Permalink: https://www.democraticaudit.com/2018/06/02/book-review-brexit-and-beyond-rethinking-the-futures-of-europe-edited-by-benjamin-martill-and-uta-staiger/Blog homepage: https://www.democraticaudit.com/Overall,	while	there	is	an	agreement	among	contributors	and	editors	that	Brexit	has	served	as	a	wake-up	call	thathas	encouraged	an	open	public	debate	about	the	future	of	the	EU,	the	diversity	of	the	suggestionsproposed	in	Brexit	and	Beyond	demonstrates	that	there	are	many	options	on	the	table	on	how	to	move	forward.This	volume	is	also	a	good	example	of	how	comprehensive	discussions	can	take	place	in	an	accessible	format,	notonly	in	terms	of	its	structure,	but	also	as	it	is	available	to	download	for	free,	which	opens	the	debate	to	the	non-academic	community	as	well.From	the	time	of	the	publication	of	Brexit	and	Beyond	until	now,	much	has	already	changed	and	much	has	alreadybecome	outdated.	As	the	editors	admit:	‘Studying	Brexit	is	like	tracking	a	moving	target’	(263).	However,	the	bookstill	fulfills	its	goal	of	demonstrating	that	Brexit	has	been	a	critical	juncture	for	scholars	and	policymakers	to	‘rethinkthe	futures	of	Europe’,	while	exploring	different	types	of	scenarios	and	options,	some	of	which	have	not	beendiscussed	before.This	review	gives	the	views	of	the	author,	and	not	that	of	Democratic	Audit.	It	first	appeared	on	the	LSE	Review	ofBooks	blog.Anna	Nadibaidze	holds	an	MSc	in	International	Relations	from	the	LSE	and	has	previously	studied	at	McGillUniversity	and	the	University	of	Edinburgh.	Her	research	interests	include	European	and	Russian/Eurasian	politics,international	institutions,	and	discourse	in	IR.	She	tweets:	@AnnaRNad.	Read	more	by	Anna	Nadibaidze.	Similar	PostsMost	populist	radical	right	parties	across	Europe	are	not	eager	to	leave	the	EUPopulist	politicians	on	both	sides	of	the	Atlantic	are	plundering	history	for	persuasive	purposesBrexit	is	happening	–	are	EU	citizens’	rights	finally	a	done	deal?Brexit	and	election	advertising:	an	asset	for	some,	a	liability	for	othersA	great	or	Pyrrhic	victory?	The	dangers	ahead	for	Boris	JohnsonDemocratic Audit: Book Review | Brexit and Beyond: Rethinking the Futures of Europe edited by Benjamin Martill and Uta Staiger Page 3 of 3		Date originally posted: 2018-06-02Permalink: https://www.democraticaudit.com/2018/06/02/book-review-brexit-and-beyond-rethinking-the-futures-of-europe-edited-by-benjamin-martill-and-uta-staiger/Blog homepage: https://www.democraticaudit.com/

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http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/89671/1/lsereviewofbooks-2018-05-29-book-review-brexit-and-beyond-rethinking.pdf

Book review: Brexit and beyond: rethinking the futures of Europe edited by Benjamin Martill and Uta Staiger

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