After last week’s referendum in the UK, there is pressure for decisive action — a swift EU divorce from Britain and a bold rethink of European integration, even treaty change. The urge to move quickly is understandable, but dangerous. Temporary uncertainty is preferable to a bad and irreversible choice.
The other 27 member states of the EU face two challenges, neither of which lends itself to a quick fix. The first is reconfiguring relations with the UK to allow for a close and reciprocal partnership. The second is recalibrating the European project in order to strengthen cohesion and regain the trust of citizens. The first task is hugely important. The second is existential.
Both the Brexit negotiations and EU institutional reform must be approached with humility. It is tempting to pin all blame on the recklessness of British politicians and voters. But it would be dishonest. After all, Brexit is a symptom of a wider crisis of trust and the collapse of the EU’s political capital. The UK may well be a special case, but the concerns that animated the Leave vote — particularly over the downsides of globalisation — are echoed in other member states.