After UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation today (June 22), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on social media: "In just two years, you've become an outstanding statesman—someone many leaders take years to grow into. Your leadership has made Europe and Ukraine safer. Thank you, dear Keir."
Starmer left office less than a year after taking office. Over the past decade, the UK has seen frequent changes in prime ministers, with Starmer becoming the sixth in that period—highlighting deep-seated fractures in domestic governance.
This turmoil is inseparable from the lingering aftermath of Brexit. Since Brexit, the UK has maintained an awkward, ambivalent relationship with the EU—neither fully severed nor re-integrated. It cannot completely cut ties in trade and people-to-people exchanges, yet it can no longer enjoy the benefits of EU integration. As a result, policies have long swung between extremes. Domestically, economic weakness, regional divisions, and mounting public pressure stemming from Brexit continue to intensify, making consensus impossible and leading to repeated cabinet reshuffles. Externally, losing the EU's platform as a buffer has significantly reduced Britain’s influence in negotiations over European and Ukrainian security, as well as trade rules.
Von der Leyen’s polite farewell to Starmer underscores the UK’s current state of isolation. Brexit was originally intended as a move toward greater autonomy, but ultimately trapped the UK in political instability and a foreign policy dilemma—with no clear path out of the cascading problems caused by Brexit.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868699199963147/
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