My initial reaction to the results of the Referendum

My brief statement prepared yesterday immediately upon hearing the results.

I went to bed early on Thursday to make sure that I could watch the coverage of the results towards the ‘business end’ of the count. At 4am I woke up, and upon looking at my phone, headed to the sitting room to watch the coverage on BBC News. Slowly but surely with a Lagavullin in my hand the ‘remain’ camp were not making any inroads into the ‘leave’ advantage.
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A pro-Brexit Briton in Western Austria speaks out

In the short or long term a Brexit will have no effect on where I live. I think a lot of the UK will see a “Yes” vote as a missed opportunity.

One of the comments made by the first pro-Brexit Briton in Austria to answer a set of questions was that there is a big difference between the situation in Vienna compared with Austria as a whole – particularly with regard to the level of integration that a foreigner needs. I was very pleased that my blog had reached a Briton in Western Austria, who was very keen to talk about her experiences – in particular to highlight how different life can be outside the largest city or capital.

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Feelings of a pro-Brexit Briton in Vienna

A Brexit will result in the unravelling of the EU as we know it today and result in, at the very least, a tremendous amount of reform. A Bremain could see the UK as a very dysfunctional EU member depending on the margin of victory.

In my last post I set a list of questions that I wanted to ask pro-Brexit Britons in Austria. Below are the first responses – from a long-term Briton in Vienna (who would appear to have been living in Austria for a similar period as I have). Continue reading “Feelings of a pro-Brexit Briton in Vienna”

Finding out how pro-Brexit Britons in Austria feel…

To date my blog has been dominated by pro-Bremain content – but of course this is only part of the story – there are Britons in Austria (and elsewhere in Europe) who favour a Brexit.

To date my blog has been dominated by pro-Bremain content – but of course this is only part of the story – there are Britons in Austria (and elsewhere in Europe) who favour a Brexit. Aside from vociferous forum/facebook trolls (trolling in general, not in particular in relation to the Brexit debate), in the interests of trying to understand how people’s opinions differ – or how personal circumstances shape their position, as well as to get away from merely expressing and “broadcasting” my opinion, I will be posting the views of some Britons in Austria, who identify themselves as favouring a Brexit.

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Interview with Joe Mayes – a Paris-based journalist

Yesterday morning I was interviewed over the phone by a journalist in Paris, Joe Mayes. He wanted to ask about various facets of expat life, which he is currently pitching an article for – he is already very aware of the expat situation from Paris – and contacted me after finding out about my blog through the wetheeu website. I’ve embedded a recent piece from his website (below) – his focus was from Brits in Paris – and there is a lot of similarity to the circumstances faced by Brits there as to Austria – particularly in relation to the potential currency shock in relation to the effects of a Brexit.  Continue reading “Interview with Joe Mayes – a Paris-based journalist”

How realistic is the two-year period for negotiating a Brexit? And what does Article 50 of the EU Treaty say?

Having touched upon the issue of Article 50 of the European Treaty and how it offers a two-year transitional period, I have, when speaking to a couple of media enquiries, emphasised that it is not this period that will be the most difficult for Expats living abroad, but what comes after the expiry of the transition period. The complexity of the Brexit is something that seems to have not been assessed particularly by those championing the advantages of leaving the EU. Continue reading “How realistic is the two-year period for negotiating a Brexit? And what does Article 50 of the EU Treaty say?”

Bluster from Boris?

At some point between now and the time of the referendum, I expect there to be a major event that might prove decisive for the course of the referendum – and the optimistic says it might be the result of a statement made by Boris Johnson. Unfortunately with so much of the fluff and bluster that he spouts, there is a fear that it might cocoon any bombshell that he might drop, the detonation of which could permanently damage his “Brexit” campaign. Continue reading “Bluster from Boris?”

One month gone – three to go until the referendum…

Amazingly a month has flown by since the date of the referendum being set for 23rd June. Since then, the topic has become one of the central focuses of my reading – particularly in light of the fact that I have been trying to mug up about the impact of it and to be better informed to in turn place myself in a position to be able to inform others. I’ve had requests from journalists requesting interviews and asking for my 2 pence / 3 Eurocents worth, and have answered all sorts of questions about Expat life. Continue reading “One month gone – three to go until the referendum…”

The effect of Brexit on the GBP-EUR exchange rate

Having had a foreign currency mortgage, denominated in Swiss Franc, taken out on a property bought in Euro here in Austria, since Swiss Franc mortgages were a popular instrument prior to the Financial Crisis, I’ve seen the destructive effect that a currency devaluation can have for borrowers. The effects of a Brexit could be similar for Brits abroad who are using their Sterling savings to keep afloat in the Euro area. Regardless of whether financing of property is involved, the effects of a Brexit are likely to cause considerable volatility for Sterling.

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