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Why Brexit Matters: British Illusions and the Future of the Transatlantic Community
September 6 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
On Sept. 6, UNC Global Affairs will host Ambassador (Ret.) Charles Ries, State Department expert on the formation of the EU and beyond, for a Diplomatic Discussion on why Brexit matters and the future of transatlantic issues. Pizza will be served!
In June 2016, British voters voted in a referendum to leave the European Union and tipped narrowly (52-48%) in favor of the proposal. It was an extraordinary development: the first time a developed country had withdrawn from a close economic or political association with peers, raising barriers to trade with its closest neighbors.
Ries will explore the origins of Brexit’s historical outcome and consider alternative possible timelines of the last decade’s momentous events. Ries will also speculate on development of transatlantic political and economic relationships over the next decade, including the Ukraine war, climate change, and the current trend towards economic regionalism and “friendshoring.” Drawing on a wealth of political experience, Ries will provide a thought-provoking discourse on Brexit and its implications.
This event is co-sponsored by the UNC Center for European Studies.
The Diplomatic Discussions series through UNC-Chapel Hill’s Diplomacy Initiative brings top foreign affairs practitioners from the U.S. and around the world to Carolina to give public talks and classroom discussions on current global issues.