L'indépendantisme écossais ou Scexit

Thèmes abordés

Scotland, Écosse, indépendantisme écossais, Scexit, Scottish independence, géopolitique

Résumé du document

Dans ce devoir, il s'agit d'établir la synthèse de 3 documents en anglais sur la pertinence actuelle de l'indépendantisme écossais :
- Article by Joshua Zitser, The Independent, Monday 17 October 2016
- Speech by British Prime Minister Theresa May, Scottish Conservative Conference, 3 March 2017
- Statement given by the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, to the Scottish Parliament on EU negotiations and Scotland's future, 27 June 2017

Extraits

[...] As Britain leaves the European Union and we forge a new role for ourselves in the world, the strength and stability of our Union will become even more important. We must take this opportunity to bring our United Kingdom closer together. Because the Union which we all care about is not simply a constitutional artefact. It is a union of people, affections and loyalties. It is characterized by sharing together as a country the challenges which we all face, and freely pooling the resources we have to tackle them. [...]

[...] (...) Our United Kingdom has evolved over time and has a proud history. Together we form the world's greatest family of nations. But the real story of our Union is not to be found in Treaties or Acts of Parliament. It is written in our collective achievements, both at home and in the world. Together, we led the world into the industrial age. From the Derbyshire dales, to the south Wales Valleys and the workshops of Clyde side, British industrialists, inventors and workers charted the course to modernity and made the United Kingdom the world's engine-room. [...]

[...] I agree - it is important. That's why I am determined to get the best possible access to it for Scottish firms, as I am for Welsh, English and Northern Irish firms. But what the SNP don't point out is that the UK domestic market is worth four times more to Scottish firms. In fact, the EU comes third after the rest of the UK, and the rest of the world as a market for Scottish goods. And yet the SNP propose Scottish independence, which would wrench Scotland out of its biggest market. [...]

[...] Another thing against independence would be the uncertainty that it brings. Even if some, like Zitser, imagine a safe haven for the youth, as we have stated at the beginning of our reasoning, others see a future for the certainty of the UK, like the British Prime Minister: am confident about the future of our United Kingdom and optimistic about what we can achieve together as a country." The Scottish first minister, although pro-independence, recognizes the uncertainty that comes with the idea of independence: "Some just want a break from the pressure of big political decisions." Just as with every political change of big impact, the independence of Scotland brings uncertainty about the future. [...]

[...] Before I do so, let me underline two enduring points. Firstly, it remains my view that at the end of the Brexit process, the people of Scotland should have a choice about our future direction as a country. Indeed, the implications of Brexit are so potentially far reaching that, as they become clearer, I think people may well demand that choice. We face a Brexit we did not vote for, and in a form more extreme than most would have imagined just a year ago. [...]