Brexit lecture of Christa Tobler at Jindal University in India’s capital Delhi
On 5 April 2017, Prof. Christa Tobler gave a guest lecture at the Centre for European Studies of the O.P Jindal Global University in Delhi on the topic of „“Brexit“ - what is it about and what could it mean for India?“
The Centre for European Studies at Jindal University is a partner of the Europa Institute of the University of Basel in Switzerland, where Christa Tobler is professor in addition to her part-time professorship in Leiden. As for Leiden, Jindal cooperates with the Social Sciences Faculty of Leiden University.
The description of the content of the lecture in the official invitation was as follows:
„On 23 June 2016, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) held an advisory referendum on the country's future membership in the European Union (EU). A narrow majority of those participating in the referendum voted in favour of leaving (“Brexit”). The government has vowed to respect this outcome. Never before has a country left the EU. In fact, it is only since 2009 that EU law contains legal rules on withdrawal and on the procedure of leaving. Being an untested process, it raises many interesting legal questions, both within the UK and the EU. Thus, in the UK the question of who can decide on actual withdrawal and trigger the exit procedure under EU law had to be decided by the UK Supreme Court (which held that parliamentary legislation is needed). On the level of EU law, it is for example open whether a state's decision to leave the EU may be withdrawn. There are also many difficult political issues, including in particular the future relationship between the UK and the EU. However, “Brexit” is an important issue not only within the EU but also in the context of trade relations with third countries (i.e. non-Member States). India is currently the fastest growing economy in the world and a strategic partner for the EU. Conversely, the EU is India's number one trading partner. In this context, what will be the consequences if one important Member State leaves the EU, especially from a legal point of view?“