What the Poles think of Brexit

Poland’s attitude towards Britain might be characterised as largely affectionate – but with an edge. Brexit is not helping. The wartime alliance is remembered in Poland as much in terms of British betrayals as of Polish pilots and the Enigma machine. Resentment eased during the cold war thanks to Britain’s role as a key adversary […]

A view of Brexit from Germany

It might be thought that In the days after the Brexit vote, the Germans must be positively swimming in schadenfreude, after we had caused so much trouble in the EU. But among the people the writer of the book, ‘Exit Brexit’,  one spoke to; government spokespeople, supermarket cashiers, diplomats and taxi drivers; the overwhelming emotions […]

A Czech view of Brexit

Anglophilia is big in Prague: there’s a square named after Winston Churchill, a bunch of English-language bookshops and several branches of Marks & Spencer. Since the Velvet revolution that heralded the end of communism in 1989, most Czech politicians, diplomats and opinion-formers have routinely deferred to Britain as a cradle of democracy and common sense. […]

What the French think of Brexit

One French commentator called Brexit a “national psychodrama” – and, another put it as, “un big mess”. Many French people are addressing Britons with the sympathy they normally reserve for the bereaved. “So sorry,” they say, as a no-deal B-Day looms. “What will you do now?” There is little gloating, much genuine concern, and massive […]

A Spanish view of Brexit

Spain is pretty much occupied with its own domestic issues – the trial of Catalan independence leaders and the sudden eruption of the far-right, for example, but the Brexit pantomime continues to fascinate, confuse and disgust. Spaniards, who have long viewed British politics as an ancient beacon of democracy and informed debate, are struggling to […]

A view of Brexit from the Netherlands

Of all the European countries, I’d imagine the Dutch are the nation that most likes and admires the Brits. Over 80% of them speak English (fluently) and they love our music and television. However, talking about our nation through the prism of Brexit, Michiel van Hulten, a former MEP, says: “It’s a mixture of bemusement […]

A view of Brexit from Ireland

It was a young business professional, near the Dublin offices of Facebook and Google, who, when being interviewed about Brexit’s potential impact on Ireland’s trade, employment, banking and consumer confidence, said: “You know, we’d almost forgotten how good it felt to stick it to the Brits.” He shrugged and grinned. “Old habits.” This was a […]

The ties that bind

According to Oxford University, all societies are held together by seven universal moral rules. Many western cultures may seem to be moving towards more liberal, less hierarchical organisations, the new research suggests that traditional power structures and basic values of charity and fraternity are the cornerstones of successful societies. The study of 60 different cultures […]

Eye off the environmental ball

Part of me wants to smash it all up. I want to see the British bubble burst: the imperial nostalgia, the groundless belief in the inherent greatness of this nation; the casual dishonesty of those who govern us; the xenophobia; the intolerance; the denial; the complacency. I want those who have caused the coming disaster […]

Decisions, decisions…

Sometimes women have a baby and then, after a while, they return to work. If, for example, a woman takes a year off work (by royal appointment), she may find the job of caring for a baby fantastic, lonely, stressful, mundane and soul-destroying, all at the same time. Each new mother’s response will be different; […]