12. EU Integration Perspectives After Brexit

Welfens questions the notion that Brexit implies more British sovereignty and highlights the cost of Brexit for the UK/EU27 in terms of lower per capita consumption and loss in welfare. Without UK contributions, the EU faces financing difficulties and Welfens proposes a number of reforms to keep European integration on track, including the transfer of certain competences to the EU (including infrastructure and military spending, unemployment benefits, and an independent income tax) and steps toward a Euro political union. Policy scientists in Germany have shown that the EU—being too small in budget terms for voters to understand the relevant political fields—faces the problem that confused voters tend to vote for small and radical parties in EU elections: an under dimensional EU encourages political radicalism.