I guess I was hoping for sympathy when I went to my usual café for coffee after the Brexit announcement, but it turned out that I went to the wrong place. After the frontline teasing about being an Extracomunitario with no rights from the usually friendly barista, complete with the quote in the title, I ventured towards the garden where another old friend ran at me like a rabid guard dog baring his teeth – No Brits in here please – Brexiters not welcome!
Like most of the countries in the European Union, Italy is mad at the Brits – not only for exiting, but also for picking and choosing our rights of membership in the first place, and finally for setting the pace for what might well be its ultimate destruction.
All my friends know how I voted, as a Brit who has bought an apartment and established Residency status in Florence I am as likely to vote “Out” as a turkey would clamour for an early Christmas lunch – but I am here and, albeit still in shock, available locally to take the blame on behalf of my country.
They think they are just teasing, that I will respond with a smile and laugh it off as usual, but it is far too raw for that. Of course, they quickly realised that the glint in my eye wasn’t an urge to fight, and did offer sympathy, but the damage was done – a dash home to howl was necessary!
Despite the promises of the Brexit Brigade I don’t believe that they have any idea – and I don’t even think they had even had thought about – how they are going to negotiate on behalf of Brits who, until Friday, had the simple EU membership right to own property and work abroad.
It wasn’t even on their agenda – to me, the Brexit campaign seemed to be all about keeping others out.
On the other hand, the EU is making it abundantly clear that they will not make it easy for the UK to regain these rights as part of the Exit Plan. Surely hoping that, if it is difficult, no other part of the Europe community will decide to leave the group and follow us into the abyss.
Vergonaci! Shame on Us – I was taught to be proud of little Britain making room for fleeing Poles, Jews, Hungarians – now we won’t even make space for people risking everything to escape from almost certain death in a war zone.
So, tomorrow I return to Britain to hear the other side of the story – trying to keep positive and hoping that a solution will be found over the next two years and that this shock result won’t be the beginning of the end of an idyllic dream for the 2.5 million Expats living in Italy and loving it.
Dear Penny, your words deeply touched my heart and my soul. Being a German, having moved so many times in my life in Germany and in Switzerland, having travelled all over the world and now living in Florence and Zurich, I feel deeply sorry for those people who vote for Brexit and for all those people who behave like this today at your home in Florence. If I would have been there, I would have joined you and I would have shown everybody that you are more than welcome in Florence, that you are part of our home-Piazza, that I always miss you when you are not there and that you enrich my life and I am sure the life of many other people! Please let me know which bar that was, we will never go there again. I feel deeply sorry for the people in Florence who made you feel like that. Take a big hug from me, I can´t wait to see you when you are back! And don´t forget: There are many people who do not think like the people you described above. The dream is not over – let´s live the dream. Hugs. Feli. xxx.
Dear Feli – how sweet of you to say that but I genuinely believe them when they say that they had no idea I would take it so badly – Florentines are not known for liking Foreigners in any event and they are right – this isn’t my fault – we need to move forward now and hope that someone in the UK is as good at fixing things as they are at breaking them! I am back friends at my bar -with big hugs all round!!
Heartfelt comments, Penny.
Human relationships were the last things on anyone’s mind. Surely all countries involved will respect the position of existing expats and encourage them. On sober reflection they would be silly not to.
On more sober reflection a sensible new relationship MUST be worked out. Even A Merkel is in the Keep Calm camp. The largest market for Italian prosecco is Britain and Italy exports more to Britain then it imports. It is not all about BMWs. I hope Europe’s desire to ‘punish’ Britain does not finish up damaging Europe.
Britain and Europe was never the ideal marriage. If Maastrecht or Lisbon had been put to referendum in Britain the outcomes might have been quite different.
Be optimistic for a sensible outcome now that it is back in the hands of the politicians and bureaucrats.
Hugs from me also.
Thank you Stephen – I have to be hopeful for a sensible outcome – if for nothing else than the mathematics of trade with such a highly populated country that manufacturers very little of its own these days! However the deathly silence from Breaker Boris and the baying for the blood of Jeremy Corbyn doesn’t make me too optimistic that anyone has a great strategic plan – I think they are all still in shock!
Thanks for the Hugs!
Penny