TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Just ahead of the referendum on whether to Remain or Leave the European Union (EU) last Thursday, no one seemed to take the murder of MP Jo Cox as an indication that a majority of the British public wanted to part ways with the EU. The tragic death of Cox, who had persistently campaigned for Remain, caused a wave of grief, particularly in her constituencies of Batley and Spen in West Yorkshire. The sober atmosphere, however, changed as soon as voting began.
The anti-EU and anti-immigrant sentiments are generally more pronounced outside of London, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the larger cities. Nigel Farage, an ardent anti-EU leader of the UK Independent Party, summed up the mood following the voting by saying that the public had chosen 'without a single bullet fired'.
His speech, widely criticized as insensitive in the wake of Cox's murder, actually referred to the many working-class voters in post-industrial cities who had been neglected by the central government since Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's era. These were the people who had been feeling the pinch from the economic slump and anxious about their future.
Instead of highlighting the 'incompetence' of the government, the Leave leaders chose to exploit this sentiment and played the 'Brussels is our common enemy' card. They promised a more prosperous UK-culturally and materially-through anti-immigration policies, although historical evidence have proven otherwise.
The attitude of those who voted Remain, unfortunately, did not help the situation as they failed to pacify those who wanted out by calling the latter fascists or anti-intellectual. As a result, as the referendum drew near, the pro-Brexit campaigns became increasingly xenophobic and irrational.
The EU is certainly not perfect. No agreement can satisfy all member states that are quite diverse. But opportunities abound to deliberate differences, such as parliamentary referendums in which joint international parties similar in ideology participate.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron was in the process of renegotiating the terms of the UK's membership in the EU. As he underestimated the surging anti-EU sentiment, he failed to maneuver for additional benefits. For example, the UK had enjoyed more privileges than other EU members, such as being exempted from adopting the single currency and from adopting the passport-free Schengen zone.
What happened in the UK will likely weaken the EU further, as calls for similar referendums have now emerged in other member countries. This is a huge lesson that should not be played down by other international groupings striving to achieve a community, such as ASEAN, where chauvinism and anti-foreign sentiment are deeply rooted in many of the member countries.
The inability of governments in the region to tackle this issue could fuel extremism by individuals such as the murder of Cox and divide the supranational union. (*)
Read the full story in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine
