Brexit: Searching for Winners and Losers

"The UK has always had a very difficult relationship with Europe and the European Union. Thatcher fell over Europe, Major almost fell over Europe, and then of course both David Cameron and Theresa May fell over Europe. And this very fraught relationship has several causes but has never been properly addressed," says Eleanor Spaventa, Full Professor of European Union Law at Bocconi, in the sixth episode of the podcast series Clarity in a Messy World, focused on Brexit.

"Five years after the unexpected referendum victory that tore Europe apart, Brexit is still a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma," podcast host David Wayne Callahan says, paraphrasing Winston Churchill.

No one can claim to have had the upper hand, but losers seem easier to spot than winners.

Professor Spaventa is not confident that EU and the UK, this recently divorced couple, will be able to call themselves friends again in the short term. "I would be happy if they were civil neighbors rather than friends," she says.

Clarity in a Messy World, hosted by David W. Callahan, is the Bocconi podcast that looks at the causes behind the most confounding issues of our time. You can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, and YouTube.