Five years on, 'Brexiternity' is likely for London and Brussels

THURSDAY marked the fifth anniversary of the United Kingdom's landmark European Union referendum with the nation's relationship with Europe still in flux and likely to remain so for years if not decades to to come, in what has been called 'Brexiternity'.

Seen from the vantage point of mid-2021, it is clear that the EU referendum was a seminal moment in the UK and indeed wider European post-war history. Yet far from being a single, isolated event, Brexit should be seen as a process made up of multiple negotiations (a catch-all term used here for formal diplomatic discussions and wider debates), including within the UK; between the EU and the UK; and within the EU about its future.

Much attention, since 2016, has focused on intra-UK debates about Brexit and it is already clear that the referendum was a trigger for a series of profound changes to the nation's unity, constitution, identity, political economy, and place in the world. On the latter issue, for instance, the UK government has launched a 'Global Britain' initiative to enhance ties with the world outside Europe.