Archbishop ‘shocked’ by Brexit referendum result

Archbishop Charles Scicluna said yesterday he was “shocked” by the Brexit referendum result Speaking on Radju Malta’s Ghandi xi Nghid programme, Mgr Scicluna said, “I was shocked by the result, but it wasn’t a complete surprise because in Britain they were saying it was too close to call. In fact the result was very close, the difference was roughly 1.2 million votes – which is not a lot.

“It is a big blow for Europe and a big shock for the UK. If there is another referendum, and Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales vote to join the EU and leave the UK, we will see unprecedented historical changes.

“The social impact of Brexit, even on us Maltese, could be significant considering the amount of links we have with the British, for example in the areas of health, students and the amount of Maltese working in the UK and vice versa.

“I hope they have a good future, and I appreciate the challenges UK leaders faced. Religious leaders in the UK were all in favour of the island remaining in the EU, the message of the people is clear and it also makes us reflect. People are proposing a way forward and we need to see where this fits into the wider scope of things.

“How this fits into the bigger picture remains to be seen, it will be a big challenge if this referendum leads to the collapse of the United Kingdom.

“Fear is the word that comes to mind, fear of the possibility of UK society collapsing – this referendum is not a sign of protest but of internal crises. The UK has a long history of democracy, and we hope that Malta’s position within the Commonwealth will help maintain the strong ties we have with Britain.

“The people’s wishes will take some time to come into effect. Article 50 must be invoked, and it is not so simple to leave the EU. It was said that Greenland took three years to exit – maybe Britain will take longer?

He mused that the climate in which the Brexit decision was made was not ideal:

“To decide on such a monumental decision, you need a serene climate. On an international level, as well as in the UK, the climate was not serene – especially in the light of the fatal attack on Labour MP Jo Cox. This shows a problem with democracy in the UK.

“The UK was instrumental in World War II, and the story of how events unfolded might have been very different without their presence. However, they have decided they do not want to be part of the European dream – which was built to maintain peace and stability.”