THE PECULIARITIES OF GREAT BRITAIN IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Abstract

The article analyses Great Britain’s specifics in the context of European integration. The key factors, which separate the United Kingdom from its continental neighbours, are it's being an island state, having a historical past of a great superstate, strong and long-lasting relations with the USA. All these factors had their specific impact on forming Great Britain’s unique political attitude and behaviour. They have also determined a multi-vector British identity for the British see themselves as a part of a British nation, a part of a Trans-Atlantic alliance as well as a part of a large European community. In the last decades, an ethnic component of identity has become significant. Thus, such identity levels as national, ethnic and pan European have been singled out. The Maastricht Treaty was perhaps the key element of certain finalising of the European integration process as it de-facto created the European Union that we know today. The process of its adoption and ratification has been analysed in the article. It has been concluded that signing the treaty has deepened the differences between the euro-enthusiasts and euro-sceptics in the society in general and within political circles in particular and has also caused a conflict within the Tori Party which has first led to a defeat at the parliamentary elections in 1997 and had many other manifestations in the following years, the Brexit is one of the most prominent and visible results of the aforementioned phenomena.