With the United Kingdom greeting its referendum on the European Union with a resounding “Leave,” the sheer weight of the “Brexit” was felt at 10 Downing Street and on Wall Street, with shock waves quickly reverberating far beyond. From world markets to international security, geopolitics to national elections, uncertainty around the effects of the vote persist. Among many of the questions being asked there sits a single thread:

So what does this really mean?

At The Fletcher School, our faculty has grappled with its impact in a number of spheres. While the search for clarity goes on, looking at Brexit in the context of the world in which we live, and from a variety of viewpoints on campus, can hopefully shed a light on the referendum’s far-reaching implications.  Here’s what some of our faculty members – from those specializing in security studies to business innovation to international law – are saying about the current situation.

Faculty Voices

Dean James Stavridis

“The US must face the fact that the UK will likely be less of an effective and reliable partner in global affairs. The US-UK relationship is about to get somewhat less special, unfortunately.”

UK-US Special Relationship Shaky Following Brexit Vote, Financial Times

The United States and Europe will be confronted with a raft of bad news that goes along with [Brexit]: economic turmoil, a faltering British economy, a deeply weakened political entity in the European Union itself, the high chance of a Scottish departure from the UK, to name just a few of the challenges. The political and economic institutions of the West all seem worse off […].

The sole exception might be the military. Brexit, counter-intuitive as it might sound, will likely produce a stronger NATO.

Europe’s Loss Is NATO’s Gain, Foreign Policy
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