Thread by @ArtsUnimelb

Confused about #Brexit? Same🙋

That's why we're at Prof/ Philomena Murray's
@pbmurray1 free public lecture 'Reflection on Europe's future: borders, beliefs and Brexit'. We'll be live-tweeting the highlights, make sure you follow along 👇

@pbmurray1 While we're getting started, catch up with Professor Murray's Pursuit piece on the subject @pbmurray1:
pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/the-f…

@pbmurray1 Prof Murray begins by comparing Brexit to a cat that acts like it wants to go out...but never actually goes 🤣🤣

@pbmurray1 'For many people around the globe the European Union is a beacon of hope. It has managed to get rid of war among its members..the European Union is particularly a peace project' - Prof/ Murray @pbmurray1

@pbmurray1 'We had that peace community of reconciliation [post WW2]...and that union is very much now in trouble'

@pbmurray1 'Almost 70 years after that European Union project took hold, it looks like its narratives of hope are in trouble'

@pbmurray1 'One element that I'm really worried about...is that element of populism that undermines the legitimacy of institutions, the legitimacy of parliament'

@pbmurray1 Prof/ Murray @pbmurray1 raises the point that most Europeans are optimistic about the European Union's future

@pbmurray1 Prof/ Murray points out that the European Union and European states have ignored their responsibilities around the refugee crisis, with dire consequences

@pbmurray1 'What it means is that we've got a de-legitimisation of rights...we have several states regarding Australia as a model'

@pbmurray1 'These states no longer take legal, social or political responsibility' - Prof/ Murray @pbmurray1

@pbmurray1 'Not only does this undermine human rights...it undermines the role of states' - Prof/ Murray on European states refusing to act on the global refugee crisis and externalising responsibility to other actors

@pbmurray1 'This is the sort of challenge we're looking at - where internationalism and multilateralism are to be disparaged'

@pbmurray1 'There is a great British tradition that is European...the British were founders, they were builders and they were joiners. They joined the European Union late but there is a great British tradition that is European' - Prof/ Murray @pbmurray1

@pbmurray1 'The issue with the UK is that it's always been an awkward partner...people talk about the UK as being semi-detached, about to become detached'

@pbmurray1 'There was a narrative around the costs [of being in the European Union] rather than the benefits...the UK never thought about leading the European Union'

@pbmurray1 Prof/ Murray points out that it's been 1224 days since the #Brexit referendum 🤯

@pbmurray1 'What we've got is a situation is that it's going to take longer to leave the European Union than the length of the entire Second World War'

@pbmurray1 'It is really in many ways about nostalgia about something that never existed' - Prof/ Murray @pbmurray1

@pbmurray1 'What we're seeing is that this isn't just about party politics...this about the undermining of state institutions'

@pbmurray1 'This is actually very serious, it's not just about personalities...it's more than personality, it's even more than populism'

@pbmurray1 'What we're looking at in this idea of Brexit is possibly a new global insularity'

@pbmurray1 'Europe is losing a valuable member...it's losing face...the EU is losing the UK as a strong voice for reform'

@pbmurray1 'The UK is going to lose access to a market right on its doorstep...students are going to lose the possibility of studying, people are not going to be able to work in other countries with the rights of European citizens'

@pbmurray1 'The UK will lose some investment...and the idea that the UK has for many been a gateway to Europe'

@pbmurray1 'Be aware that the UK is already 666 billion pounds poorer because of Brexit'

@pbmurray1 'The extension has happened...the UK is still a member of the EU...what we're going to see are the challenges of staying in the European Union while saying that we're not really trustworthy' - Prof/ Murray @pbmurray1

@pbmurray1 And that's a wrap on a fantastic lecture from Professor Philomena Murray @pbmurray1! Thanks to everyone that joined us, we hope you've gained a greater understanding of #Brexit and what might be next for the UK and European Union.