Research On The Causes Of European Identity Crisis In Britain

In June 2016,Britain held a referendum on whether to leave the EU.51% of voters voted to leave,and Britain decided to leave the EU.Brexit is the result of the combination of historical and practical factors,which reflects the long-standing distrust of the EU in Britain,and the European identity crisis in Britain broke out.European identity plays an important role in integration.The construction of European identity is conducive to people's psychological sense of identity and belonging to the EU,and can provide spiritual impetus for the development of integration.The construction of the European identity also helps to solve the problem of the lack of the EU system and legalize the EU' s institutional norms.Therefore,it is of great significance to the study of European identity.This paper selects the British European identity as the research object,analyzes the European identity crisis and its causes.This paper consists of six parts,the introduction introduces the background of the topic and the theoretical and practical significance of this research,and makes a brief review of the academic research on this topic at home and abroad.The first chapter explains the relevant concepts and theoretical basis of European identity.The second chapter defines British European identity,and introduces its development after world war ?.The crisis of British European identity is mainly reflected in the conflict between British national identity and European identity,the obstacle posed by British national culture to European identity,and the difference between British elites and the public in their understanding of European identity.The third and fourth chapters analyze the causes of the British European identity crisis from the internal and external perspectives.From the perspective of Britain,there is a tradition of Euroscepticism in the history of Britain,which is not only diversified but also widespread and lasting.In the process of political struggle,political parties often take advantage of the people's eurosceptic sentiment,eurosceptic voice is increasingly louder,and the British identity towards Europe is more negative.When Britain joined the EU,its aim was to help each other economically,but there were still many contradictions in the process of cooperation.Britain has so far stuck to the pound rather than joining the Eurozone,and it has struggled to agree on the EU' s budget-sharing system and common agricultural policy.The real reason is that the outbreak of the European debt crisis has seriously damaged Britain's European identity.From the perspective of the EU,on the one hand,there is a crisis of legitimacy in the EU,and the democratic deficit is worsening.On the other hand,the lack of functions of the EU itself and its inability to solve the problems that people really care about have contributed to people's distrust of the EU and hindered the construction of Britain's European identity.Beyond Britain and the EU,Britain's European identity is at risk from the US.The United States is a special presence in Britain's foreign relations.Britain and the United States share common interests in many international affairs and cooperate closely in economy,from which Britain has benefited a lot.Coupled with the common cultural background of both sides,Britain is more willing to be close to the United States than to be of the same heart and soul with the European Union,which restricts its construction of European identity.The epilogue briefly expounds the impact of the British European identity crisis.