I saw Connor in London, right after the terror attack on Westminster bridge of 2017. Despite the attack, life was normal and nothing seemed to be able to inhibit the determination of this country.
I chose to travel to the UK by train, one of my most exciting train journeys, passing through four countries in about four hours. In the morning, I ordered some baking specialities in Germany, got a coffee in Belgium during midday, just to pass through France. A privilege.
Bringing European countries to one table, as the EU does, seems too big a challenge. And still, our mothers and fathers managed to realise the grand idea of European unity.
In fact, Churchill was one of the drivers behind European unity. He was amongst the first politicians after the war to see hope for Europe:
We must build a kind of United States of Europe. In this way only will hundreds of millions of toilers be able to regain the simple joys and hopes which make life worth living.
The EU might well be our only attempt. Once trust is lost, it’s usually gone forever.
The UK are a country of enormous cultural heritage, economic maturity, diplomatic influence, military power, and academic brilliance.
The European Project would lose a driving force. And the UK, would it be more than an island?
The EU and the UK are building walls that we may never be able to tear down again. It’s devastating.