The SNP’s endeavour to rejoin the EU, led by Humza Yousaf, suffered a setback as the bloc rejected their plan, embarrassing the party’s aspirations for independence. The swift push by the SNP to re-enter the EU has diminished the likelihood of Scotland’s reemergence as an independent entity. This article delves into the reasons behind the EU’s rejection of the SNP’s plan.
EU membership process
The European Union, comprising 27 member states, originated in 1952 by establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) by six European nations: Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Denmark, Ireland, and Britain joined this union in 1973. Within this regional alliance, these 27 European countries have eradicated their internal borders, allowing unrestricted travel within this territory. This was achieved by adhering to shared regulations governing external border control, combatting crime, and fortifying a unified legal system and police cooperation. Initially centred around financial, commercial, and customs interests, the EU’s objectives expanded over time to encompass political, social, judicial, monetary, and cultural domains.
The EU is an effective and influential actor in international relations.
The EU has pursued crucial initiatives to establish itself as a significant global entity. Among these, the adoption of a single currency, a shared agricultural policy, unified migration and asylum guidelines, a standardised defence strategy with the formation of a European army, a common social charter emphasising fundamental rights, the introduction of a common citizenship concept, and the development of a unified foreign and security policy stand as paramount objectives. While the EU encountered failures and setbacks in certain instances, it also achieved regional convergence in some areas.
List of candidates to join the EU
The list of candidates to join the EU currently consists of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. Some candidate countries have been waiting for decades to join, and Turkey first applied to join the European Economic Community in 1987.
Similar and identical process for EU membership
SNP leaders are looking for a solution to get them into the EU as soon as possible, but this is opposed in the EU. While Terry Reintke said Scotland would be “welcomed back with open arms”, she said the country would have to “pass the same process as other candidate states”. She said: “The question on the independence of Scotland is for the people in Scotland to decide, and I will not take a position on it. However, if Scotland were to become independent, they would be welcomed back with open arms into the EU.” Reintke also said that the people of Scotland can count on my support and that of many other MEPs in this process.
SNP unable to meet EU economic criteria
Some political experts believe that Scotland needs to meet the standards of the EU, and in the current situation, it is impossible to defend the country’s membership in the EU. Foreign policy expert Professor Azeem Ibrahim warned that Scotland was unlikely to meet the essential economic criteria for membership. “It shows the SNP no longer has any ideas on how an independent Scotland will function on currency, economy, defence, so they are creating fantasy papers on rejoicing the EU,” Ibrahim told GB News. There is little chance that Scotland could meet the essential economic criteria to rejoin the EU even if it wanted to, and then they would have to join the long queue for countries ahead.
The end of the dream of independence for the Scots?
The ineffectual actions of the SNP have led many Scots to conclude that this party is incapable of managing the country and realising national interests, and it has failed in this regard. The SNP has not been able to take a positive step towards the realisation of Scottish independence and its re-membership in the EU, therefore creating a sense of theatrical fantasy for the Scots in this regard. The SNP knows that the dream of freedom is over and is now taking steps. The party’s Building a New Scotland report series included the SNP’s new plan for rejoining the EU.
SNP defence of Scotland’s economic potential
Despite the EU’s assertions that Scotland must still align with its standards completely, the Scots argue they’ve taken significant steps and merit EU membership. This endeavour necessitates Scotland’s endorsement of EU values and adherence to the Copenhagen criteria. Scottish leaders assert that Scotland’s newly crafted constitution unequivocally demonstrates its wholehearted dedication to values akin to those of other European nations, placing paramount importance on human rights and equality. Scotland presents compelling attributes that could capture the EU’s interest, particularly in research and development within renewable energy technology to combat climate change, cultural and educational contributions, and a steadfast commitment to the EU’s ethos of social justice, freedom, and democracy. These qualities prove enticing to the EU, which seeks solutions for addressing countries like Hungary and Poland, among others, that have veered toward right-leaning ideologies, diverging from the shared values of the EU.
SNP arguments for EU membership
The Scottish Government is committed to fully implementing common European values in Scotland to facilitate its path to membership in the EU. Of course, there will be challenges and the accession process will have to go through, but in this way, Scotland can escape the losses of Brexit and create new opportunities for economic development. So, the question is why the EU rejected SNP’s plan. One of the essential reasons is the promotion and improvement of relations between the UK and the EU during Rishi Sunak’s prime ministership, unlike his predecessors.
Are London-Brussels positive ties obstacles to Scotland’s membership in the EU?
London and Brussels became closer during Rishi Sunak’s prime ministership. Relations were severely strained under former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. However, Britain’s Conservative Government remains under pressure from hard-liners who want to use more of the manoeuvring space gained from Brexit and eliminate the membership day rules. Conservative MP John Redwood tweeted that the people voted to take back control. Considering the improvement of relations between the Government and the EU in the past year and the resolution of some tensions, it can be analysed that the reason for the coldness of the relations between the EU and Scotland is the closeness of Europe to the UK government.
Scotland’s membership in the EU, like other candidates for membership
The SNP is constantly coming up with new plans for EU membership. The SNP published a project within days outlining its vision for an independent Scotland in the EU, but a German MEP has confirmed that there will be no shortcuts for Scotland to rejoin the EU. Terry Rantke, co-chair of the European Greens/European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament, confirmed that an independent Scotland should join the ranks of eight other candidate countries seeking membership. From Terry Rantke’s point of view, remembering Scotland in the EU will go faster due to its previous membership history, but in fact, Scotland must also go through a membership process similar to that of other countries that want to join the EU.
The damage of Brexit is the leading cause of the tendency towards rejoining the EU.
This piece addressed a crucial query: why did the EU reject the SNP’s proposal? The fallout from Brexit significantly harmed the Scottish economy. Scotland faces anticipated losses of £3 billion annually in public revenue, alongside inflation soaring to its highest point in 45 years. The tourism sector grapples with a 45% staffing shortage stemming from issues related to freedom of movement. Moreover, Brexit has led to more expensive and intricate travel logistics, causing transport delays and the re-imposition of higher roaming charges by most service providers. These are just a few of Scotland’s problems due to Brexit. What’s pivotal is that the Scottish populace has borne the brunt of Brexit’s repercussions and desires to reacquire the advantages of EU membership.