The EU

I've been trying to write this post for a long time. Europe is a place and an idea that I am passionate about. Since my fiancé is Romanian I am probably quite biased when it comes to it as well.

The reason why I have found this post so difficult is because I have been trying to justify my support for the European Union using political arguments. The trouble is the referendum campaign has descended into a playground squabble. I think the economy will be damaged by leaving and the UK will be forced to negotiate entry in the European Free Trade Area where we will end up losing more sovereignty and democracy that we currently exercise collectively as full members of the EU.

The EU institutions are flawed and the commission is over bureaucratic. But there is a democratically elected parliament and a council where all national governments are represented. It's a bit hypocritical for us Brits to criticise a lack of democracy in the EU when we continue to put up with the unelected House of Lords and have majority governments elected on 36.1% of the popular vote. If we want to change these institutions we should engage positively with our European cousins.

But here is the real reason I want the UK to stay in the EU - and for me it trumps all other arguments. The referendum has little to do with Europe in reality - it is a proxy election to decide whether the UK wants to be:

A. playing an active role in the world, negotiating, engaging, not always getting our way but sticking up for our beliefs (REMAIN);

or

B. telling the rest of the world to f-off and isolating ourselves on our little corner of the world (LEAVE).

I don't believe this nonsense that leave campaigners propagate that we can trade with the rest of the world. If we can't get along with our nearest neighbours, then how the hell are we suppose to get along with everyone else. And option B is not a real option. We live in an interdependent world. What happens elsewhere in the world can have a significant impact here. It's better that we stick together with our friends and neighbours. There is strength in unity.

And quite honestly, I don't want to live in a country that doesn't want to engage with the rest of the world.

Vote REMAIN on 23 June.

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