By Gregorio Bettiza
Abstract:Following the formation of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, Britain is set for a rocky and uncertain future. What is clear though, is that its international role will shrink. With its soaring debt (which is projected to stand around 12% of the GDP), a hung parliament and an inherently unstable government, attention and resources will be focused domestically. Long gone are the Blair years which saw a confident and economically booming Britain treading the world stage energetically, advocating for humanitarian interventions, leading the aid agenda, and willingly engaging in warfare in the Greater Middle East. The shift towards a less internationalist and more pragmatic foreign policy was already evident during the Gordon Brown years, but Britain’s current economic and political crises are forcing it to radically re-examine its place in the world. Three areas in particular are currently being reassessed: Britain’s relation with its American transatlantic partner, its role within Europe and its overall foreign policy priorities…
Published:
2010