ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the questions of European solidarity within the UK during and after the Brexit vote. It examines why the British people voted to leave, noting that the UK's vote was in part shaped by questions of UK solidarity in a range of ways. The chapter then looks beyond the UK and considers whether the Union can now find the political solidarity to face Brexit in a way that preserves its unity. The chapter considers whether Brexit is a sign of European disintegration. Negotiations over the future of the European Union (EU) touch on potentially the biggest impact of Brexit: the future unity of the EU. Brexit could unravel — or at least add to the pressures facing — the solidarity of the UK, the EU and the wider West. Managing Germany's place in Europe has been a central part of European integration since it began.
