A morning of June 24 was like no other. Some people were woken up in the early hours by a piercing sound of their mobile phones, when their friends wanted to reach them. Others anxiously climbed out of their beds. Most of them immediately switched on BBC news on their tellies only to find out that their worst fears came true – the majority of British citizens voted ‘leave’ in the EU referendum.
The main spark of the thrill was the result of the Brexit referendum, with the Leave vote prevailing over its counterpart. In spite of Brexit not occurring in the foreseeable future, the confusion it generated on financial markets was evident, boosting the cause of cryptocurrencies.
Football as a sport is not selective about effeminate athletes who have a low pain threshold and pathological inclination to deception. Football players are just the same as other professional athletes; the only difference is in the environment and referring constraints to which they must face in pursuit of victory.
This is what my brother reportedly said right after I left the airplane on the paragliding course. The UK referendum was a similar surprise. It could have been expected, nevertheless I did not expect it. Supposedly, you cannot even slow down when riding the integration bicycle.
Just a year after the topic of fiscal decentralization briefly entered the public debate in Bulgaria, the political volition for taking actual steps in this direction seems exhausted. The government stifles to a large extent the initiative of local authorities.
As for the parliamentary elections, I felt much more uncertain. Like many others, I took the possibility of a coalition around the Law and Justice Party into account. In this variant, the president’s office in the hands of Komorowski became strategically important to prevent various anti-reforms (e.g. lowering the retirement age). I also did not rule out a weak coalition around the Civic Platform.
If the needs of economy are long ignored, the ability to create resources necessary for maintaining or even improving our standards of living will be lost. The politicians – whether the ones in Slovakia, in foreign countries or in institutions of EU – should finally acknowledge several basic priorities vital for business.
Brexit can start a crisis the likes of which the EU didn’t get the chance to experience so far. For the first time, the process of economic integration, which went on continuously since the year 1951 when the European Coal and Steel Community was established, will stop. The result of the Brexit referendum sends a clear message that the EU has to start solving its problems, otherwise there may be other referendums in the future.
The result of the June 23rd referendum in the United Kingdom apparently markes a significant milestone in history. However, its reasons and consequences are much less obvious.
The Association Agreement (AA) between the EU and Ukraine is a complex document covering a wide range of issues from justice to energy, from free trade to sports. Therefore, its impact on the Ukrainian economy will also be multifaceted. For business, the AA means new opportunities, both domestic and abroad.
