The European Union has won the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize. What has always been considered to be a genuine peace award left some baffled with some of the recipients in recent years. Social media has seen some intense back-and-forth between those who believe the EU was not a correct choice to win the Nobel Peace Award and those who did – and both sides have good arguments.
Some argue that with the recent protests stemming from austerity linked to the Euro, the EU can’t be deserving of such an award. And then there are those who argue that the creation of the EU made it impossible to think that France and Germany can go to war in the near future.
Needless to say, both arguments are a bit exaggerated. Nevertheless, it is clear this will be a contentious issue.
But how does this affect daily life in the UK? United Kingdom is an EU member, but it has its own currency and its own visa system. And it is one of the rare nations that is openly talking about a referendum on whether to stay in the Union.
I think if London were to choose more integration with the EU, and adopted the Euro instead of the Sterling, prices would show some difference be it though inflation or the effect of other nations on the fiscal system here, but truth be told – rents would stay high. Food would also still be expensive. It is just the place that London is, that affects these prices, not the currency used.
On the other hand, the UK has its own visa system and will not join the Schengen zone. So tourism would not be affected either. After all – people wishing to come to the UK would still have to apply for the British visa separate from an EU visa. So Britain retains more of a control over its national borders in that sense.
And Britons enjoy many of the benefits that come with being a member of the European Union. So when many of the local matters that concern Londoners, are really happening here, would it have been so different if the money in our pocket was a Euro or not?
Brits – and Europeans for that matter – are in heated discussions over European Union relations, especially after the Nobel Peace Prize. But some it helps to simplify things: Will any change – for better or worse – really affect daily life that much?
Şeref İşler is a broadcast journalist at the BBC World Service’s Turkish section.
