L'ultimo confine della Brexit – Analisi delle problematiche legate alla questione irlandese nel contesto dei negoziati per l'uscita del Regno Unito dall'Unione europea

Abstract

This thesis is the result of a specific interest I developed over the years about the geopolitical situation of Great Britain and Ireland and, with the instruments collected during my university classes, it analyses the historical and political framework that led to the Brexit referendum. The aim of the study is to give an insight into the Brexit negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom, pointing out how the particular status of Northern Ireland and its land border with the Republic of Ireland represents the toughest challenge for the negotiators to overcome. In order to be the clearest possible during my analysis, the work is articulated as follows:

1. The first part focuses on the general context of Brexit. Starting with the origins of the relationship between the UK and an integrated Europe, it explains how the growth of euroscepticism allowed the “Leave” campaign to win the 2016 Brexit referendum. A detailed analysis of the vote shows how each part of the United Kingdom reacted differently to the possibility of leaving the EU.

2. The main topic discussed in the second part is the Irish border. Going back to the first decades of the 20th century, the study shows the context in which the border was created and shaped through the island’s troubled history. Finally, the study concentrates on how the border appears to be nowadays, in the framework of European integration.

3. Negotiations between the two sides are discussed in detail in the third part, just after a brief presentation of the main actors involved. Before that, the study analyses the Northern Ireland Assembly election and the United Kingdom general election, both held in 2017 and both destined to have a strong impact on the following Brexit talks.

4. Finally, the fourth and last part of this thesis is focused on the post-Brexit scenarios. Through the works of experts and scholars, future possibilities are explored and investigated, trying to see what kind of consequences they could bring with them. Then, the last paragraph leaves the door open to a reflection on the current status of the United Kingdom and on how the whole Brexit story could shape its future.

This work does not claim to show the only right perspective on Brexit and on the status of the very nature of the United Kingdom. Actually, it tries to be a clear and comprehensive explanation of an important aspect of the Brexit negotiations and to give a personal interpretation of the future steps that will be taken in response to a rapidly evolving relationship between the UK and the EU.