27 Jun János Martonyi’s comments on Brexit

“Brexit is bad news for Central Europe for all the well-known reasons emphasized prior to the referendum. The consequences are overwhelmingly negative on the EU, although we can mitigate them with the proper approach. Firstly, there is a cultural impact. The United Kingdom represented a unique and essential part of the European culture, including their language which became the lingua franca of our community. Secondly, I would mention the political aspect. We would badly need the UK’s voice in political dialogues with its balanced approach based on diversity and tolerance. And thirdly, there is also the economic impact which is now widely discussed.

At the same time, a geopolitical shift will occur. Brexit also creates a new situation, where the economic and political importance of Central Europe will increase substantially. We should not forget that the Eastern enlargements since 2004 have altered the EU and shifted its geopolitical centre ground eastwards. The move of Germany’s capital from Bonn to Berlin also indicated a similar shift two decades ago. Now our region will be indeed more central, not ‘Eastern Europe’ anymore. That should also serve as an opportunity for us Central Europeans, and give us a chance to provide new impetus to the European project.”

The interview was published in the framework of ‘A View from Central Europe: Brexit Aftermath’, a project made by our partner, the GLOBSEC Policy Institute.

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