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CZPolitics2 days ago

Was Brexit Inevitable?

The article discusses the concept of counterfactual history through the lens of Brexit, questioning whether the UK's decision to leave the European Union was truly inevitable. It references Emmanuel Carrère's observations on human resistance to the idea of historical inevitability, using the example of Napoleon's defeat.

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Politics

Jun 19, 2026

Fabrizio Tassinari

If counterfactual history is motivated by a refusal to accept what many have deemed inevitable, it is newly relevant now that the West is marking the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum. Even if Britain's fateful choice was caused by deeper structural and historical forces, that does not justify fatalism.

FIESOLE, ITALY—In a short essay published almost 40 years ago, the French author Emmanuel Carrère observed that counterfactual history—imaginative accounts of what might have been—is driven by an abiding sense of intolerance for inevitability. For many in the nineteenth century, for example, it was simply intolerable that Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo and exiled to Saint Helena. One must rebel against the idea that it could not have been otherwise, Carrère claimed.

Read the full article at Project Syndicate →

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Project SyndicateIndependentCenter2 days ago
Was Brexit Inevitable?

The article discusses the concept of counterfactual history through the lens of Brexit, questioning whether the UK's decision to leave the European Union was truly inevitable. It references Emmanuel Carrère's observations on human resistance to the idea of historical inevitability, using the example of Napoleon's defeat.

Bias read (Center): The article presents a balanced discussion of historical inevitability without taking a stance on Brexit itself. It uses historical examples and philosophical perspectives rather than advocating for any particular political viewpoint.