European Perceptions of Scottish Independence Before and After Brexit

Anderson, P and Brown Swan, C (2025) European Perceptions of Scottish Independence Before and After Brexit. Irish Studies in International Affairs, 36 (2). pp. 100-122. ISSN 0332-1460

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Abstract

This article examines European perceptions of Scottish independence before and after Brexit, focusing on the responses of EU institutions and member states. While the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and the Brexit vote of 2016 are well studied from a UK-centric perspective, the EU’s stance on Scotland’s potential secession has received less attention. This study explores how the EU’s position evolved across three key periods: the pre-Brexit years (2012–2015), the Brexit negotiation era (2016–2020) and the post-Brexit recalibration (2020–2024). The analysis reveals a nuanced European response, marked by cautious neutrality that occasionally gave way to more supportive [End Page 100] rhetoric in the wake of Brexit. However, the EU’s institutional stance remains largely unchanged, with Scottish independence and potential EU membership still seen as internal matters for the UK. The article concludes by considering the implications of these findings for Scotland’s ongoing independence movement and its future relationship with the EU.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions:	Humanities and Social Science
Publisher:	Royal Irish Academy
Date of acceptance:	3 March 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	15 May 2025
Date Deposited:	15 May 2025 14:24
Last Modified:	15 May 2025 14:30
DOI or ID number:	10.1353/isia.00005
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/26318

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