Abstract

The decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, following a referendum whose main theme was taking back control, is not due to a momentary surge of sovereignism, even though some events that could be seen as an expression of that, occurring at the time of the referendum in the UK in continental Europe and elsewhere, might have influenced the result to a significant extent. This decision appears rather due to an underlying mistrust and feeling of uneasiness dating back at least to the time of the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities. This mistrust was not assuaged by the evolution of the European integration process (and by the position of the other Member States on that matter), nor by the strategic posture of the British administration during that period. The ambiguity in the administration's attitude and the multifaceted aspects of this issue have influenced and are still influencing the withdrawal negotiations.