The United Kingdom will leave the European Union on Friday after decades. Brexit fans celebrate that historic moment outside the British parliament and elsewhere in the country.
The festivities on Parliament Square in London are attended in the evening by, among others, politician Nigel Farage, who has worked for years to get his country out of the EU. To his disappointment, the famous Big Ben will not ring at the time of the Brexit. That would be too expensive because the clock tower is being renovated.
The government is having an exclusive 50 pence Brexit coin issued and projecting a clock in Downing Street. It counts down to the Brexit. Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the country at 10 p.m. local time. Numerous festive activities are also announced on the internet, from pub crawls to social gatherings.
After the referendum in 2016, the British had to wait more than three years for the Brexit: a political headache file that divided the country and led to the departure of two prime ministers, the conservatives David Cameron and Theresa May.
Prime Minister Johnson’s Conservative Party election victory put an end to political paralysis last month.
Not everyone likes lavish festivities. Pro-European activists want to hold a demonstration at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, which they call Missing EU Already.
The City of London is organizing an event for Londoners from other EU countries. They can go to the town hall for “emotional support” and for free advice from lawyers who specialize in immigration law.
The United Kingdom amalgamated the European Economic Community in 1973, the predecessor of the EU. With the departure of the British, the Union loses 66 million inhabitants and more than 5 percent of its total landmass.
The United Kingdom will remain bound by EU legislation until the end of this year. In the meantime, the future relationship is being negotiated.
Be First to Comment