With Britain’s EU In-Out referendum seemingly in the offing, the question must be posed as to whether or not the British people are ready to make an informed, rational decision on the fate of their nation. Hyperbole? unfortunately not! The reality appears to be that much of the British public is worryingly uninformed on the matter of European integration and the role their country plays in one of the world’s largest and most complex supranational institutions.
This phenomenon is not in any way a slight on the British people, nor is it unique to the British case – it is merely the context signifying that the current situation is far from ideal, with such a complex and crucial decision being placed in the hands of the British people. The average European citizen can not, and should not, be expected to memorise the intricacies of the EU’s political institutions, let alone the myriad of technocratic and bureaucratic substructures for which the EU is so infamous. However, the uncertainty is: does the general public know enough? The mosaic of interactions and institutional arrangements that constitute the day-to-day functioning of the EU mean that “very few people actually know what EU institutions are doing in Brussels, and even fewer Europeans understand how these bodies work”. This in turn has led to accusations of the EU lacking social legitimacy; i.e. people do not feel that they are being truly represented in Europe. This circumstance, also known as Europe’s democratic deficit, is at the core of the disconnection felt by many in the UK to the continental project.
Beyond the EU’s political institutions, there is seemingly also widespread misunderstanding of other key details of the Britain-EU relationship; one, among many, of which was highlighted by a Telegraph article; “The EU is not a free trade area but a customs union: until we understand the difference, the debate about our membership is meaningless“. However, the true magnitude of the problem runs even deeper. The Electoral Commission discovered, while conducting the pre-testing of a proposed referendum question, that “a few people did not know whether or not the UK is currently a member of the EU”. Not understanding Europe is one thing, not knowing that the UK is a member state is quite another – this is why the question of whether Britain is ready for a referendum is a pertinent one.
There are many potential explanations for the lack of awareness found within the British population. Lack of education on the subject is one – I personally went through my 7 years of state education in England without once being given an explanation of the EU, let alone the of UK’s role within it. Despite this failing however, it is arguably the apathy in the voting population that is potentially the most prolific menace to the UK’s European ambitions; in 2009 the UK had a 34.7% turnout for European Parliament elections, compared with 90.39% in Belgium and 43.3% in Germany. Considering the intangible, broad and non-redistributive nature of much EU policy, it is not hard to see how many people would identify with the stereotyping view that “the EU institutions have been thought of as a huge bureaucracy far removed from citizens’ daily lives and concerns”, a potentially valid viewpoint, however to what extent is this is based on reasoned thought rather than an indifferent attitude is very much up for debate.
So why is all of this important? A dangerous precedent under similar circumstances was set by Ireland over the Lisbon Treaty I, with the anti-Europe campaign headed by the politically abhorrent slogan, “If you don’t know, vote No”. With the evidence clearly showing that the British public is far from fully informed about the European Union, doubts must be voiced as to whether the nation is ready to decide, doubts that will hopefully raise consciousness and prompt further dialogue on the subject. There are of course potential solutions, (expansion of education, greater public access to forums for discussion and debate, campaigns to raise awareness etc), however these form the basis of another discussion entirely. The question here is as to the current extent of the danger that uninformed, apathetic or disillusioned voters pose to Britain being able to reach a fair and democratic consensus, which is after-all the aim of a referendum.
Responding to this pressing problem, the Electoral Commission is exploring methods to avoid the trap that caught out the aforementioned respondents, who did not know Britain was a member of the EU, that of building too much assumed knowledge into their original question of, “Do you think that the United Kingdom should be a member of the European Union?”. Potential revisions include “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” [emphasis added] – however this too has encountered opposition, this time from Eurosceptics, who claim it inherently biases towards the Pro-Europe vote. Whatever the question on the ballot papers come referendum day, it remains abundantly clear that many British people are lacking key information that would help them to make an informed decision, casting doubt on the nation’s preparedness to answer the seemingly humble question of Europe: Yes or No?
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