Eine gesamteuropäische Diskussion
Should I stay or should I go? Der Song der britischen Punkband The Clash ist in diesen Tagen aktueller denn je. Kurz vor dem Referendum zum Brexit haben wir einige unserer britischen oder in Großbritannien lebenden Übersetzer gefragt, was sie denken und derzeit beobachten:
Wie ist die Stimmung in Ihrem Umfeld, je näher das Referendum rückt?
David H. (62):
It is very tense around here – in ‘true blue Conservative rebel country’ where half of our friends and neighbours want to leave, we hardly dare share our opinion.
Lindsay (29, American citizen, living in the UK):
Most (if not all) of the people we personally speak to here in Glasgow think leaving the EU is a bad idea. Most of the arguments in favour of leaving come from sources that are far removed from our everyday lives and with whom we rarely agree on policy decisions.
Neil (~30, UK citizen, husband of Lindsay):
Note that we’re based in Scotland and the political climate is more progressive than England. The mood is less engaged than for the previous few big votes. However it is mostly positive. Local and national politicians are generally in favour of remaining in the EU. Apart from extremist groups (Britain First, Conservative and Unionist Party, UKIP), who admittedly do not have much of a following in this country, the rhetoric is positive.
Antonio (36, Spanish citizen, living in the UK):
Nicht einstimmig – beide Seiten sind ziemlich konstant und laut… der Mord von Jo Cox hat die Stimmung nicht wesentlich verändert, nach einem Tag Ruhe wird man genauso heftig wie davor mit Information bombardiert.
David T. (~ 45):
I think the mood here has changed over recent weeks. The Leave camp has been gaining ground despite their overall campaign being rather negative. It has now hit a new low with a controversial poster which a lot of Brexit supporters have rightly condemned. Some have even switched sides over this.
Kim (62, British citizen, living in Berlin):
My British friends are all keen pro-Europeans and my non-British friends amazingly Anglophile, as they have always been. The opinion polls from the UK, like a lot of online comments that you read these days, seem to be from another planet in a far removed galaxy. The same small green men seem to be playing with the US presidential elections too.
Glauben Sie, dass ein Brexit auch für Sie persönliche Konsequenzen haben könnte? Fühlen Sie sich darüber ausreichend informiert?
David H. (62):
At the moment, when we visit our friends, and our daughter’s family in Hamburg, if anything happens to us, we can see a doctor for free. I am currently entitled to receive a German pension for the years when I lived there, but I don’t know whether that will apply any more when I reach 65. There are lots of questions. The campaigns are full of hyperbole rather than fact. But the BBC and FT are reliable sources of information.
Lindsay (29):
I strongly believe that the UK leaving the EU would have a number of serious repercussions. The costs and availability of goods may change, the cost and ease of doing business with the majority of our clients would likely be negatively impacted and there is a great deal of uncertainty over what this would mean for immigration. I myself am an immigrant to the UK and do not know what kind of changes might be brought in without the EU legal framework we currently enjoy. My husband’s parents live and work in France and will not get a vote, but their own immigration status, not to mention the pensions they’ve spent years building up, are now uncertain.
Neil (~30):
Being informed about the mechanisms, benefits and duties attached to EU membership was a personal endeavour. No attempt to present a balanced, information rich overview has been made by any party or broadcaster. The information provided on both sides of the debate has been disingenuous at best and libelous at worst. My family and friends are spread through Europe and depend on the freedom of movement and the common market to enjoy their lives and be with loved ones.
The atrocious state of the visa issuing services in the UK (since I married Lindsay, their reply time to urgent mail has gone from 2 weeks to 4-6 months) and the extremely conservative (deporting foreign nationals legitimately married to Brits who earn below an amount, see https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/22/absurd-minimum-income-visa-rules-forcing-uk-citizens-into-exile-court-told) means I have no confidence that the welfare of families with EU relatives will be considered.
Antonio (36):
Konsequenzen würde es wohl haben, jedoch glaube ich nicht, dass eine Anpassung daran unmöglich wäre (um so weniger, wenn der Wechsel tatsächlich stattfindet). Hier gibt es wie gesagt Information in jeder Ecke…
David (~ 45):
I don’t know how a Brexit would affect me personally – but there are potential consequences in terms of prices and the economy in general. While a lot of the information on both sides is speculation, leaving the EU would be too much a leap in the dark in my view. I think the UK could end up being rather isolated and marginalised on the world stage. Even though the EU is far from perfect and is clearly in need of reform, I am not convinced that we would be able to manage our affairs better outside the EU and I don’t buy into all the scaremongering about immigration.
Kim (62):
I listen to the “Today” programme on BBC radio 4 every morning, so I get the gist of what is going on. If Brexit causes the Pound to crash, I would worry about UK pension payments when I reach that August age. If any bureaucratic nonsense were to arise, then I could always apply for a German passport here in Berlin.
Was wünschen Sie sich für Donnerstag?
David (62): I am a million per cent in favour of remain. This is simply the wrong moment in history to divorce from Europe, with a revanchist Russia, an extremely unstable middle east and all the refugees. The EU needs the UK and the UK needs the EU to stand firm and show the leadership to resolve these issues rather than turn our back on them.
Lindsay (29):
I hope Thursday will bring a resounding vote to stay in the EU. Leaving the EU will not mean Britain is free from EU regulation, much of which I think is quite positive. To continue to trade and do business with other EU countries, EU law must still be complied with. If Britain leaves they will simply no longer have a say in crafting these policies. The Leave campaign seems to be rooted in fear and distrust, but I think there is a lot to be gained from a strong continued European partnership.
Neil (~30):
I hope that, against all odds, there will be a strong vote to remain on Thursday. It would acknowledge that we would still need to access the common market but don’t want to give up our ability to contribute to the process.
In the event of a vote to leave I hope that a second independence referendum for Scotland will be triggered as, not to put too fine a point on it, we depend on the EU to mitigate the madness of a parliament that doesn’t represent us. (The general election in 2015 shows how starkly Scotland is disenfranchised: In Scotland 56 of 59 seats were won by a single party, the SNP. The Conservative Party won 1 seat. Our Government is a majority Conservative Party with a mandate as a result of that election.)
Antonio (36):
Remain gewinnt. Ich hoffe auch, dass die Brexit-Anhänger nach diesem Referendum still werden. So ein Krach alle „x“ Jahre tut kaum jemandem gut.
David (~ 45):
I really hope Britain votes to remain in the EU but I also hope that a lot of people get out there and vote on Thursday, regardless of their views. If too many people sit on the fence and don’t bother to vote or think they are somehow ineligible to vote, I am very concerned that the Brexit camp will actually win.
Kim (62):
I arranged a postal vote and I voted a couple of weeks ago for the UK to remain in Europe. I hope that the UK pollsters will prove to have got it wrong again and that there is substantial support for UK staying in Europe.