The paper called the June 23, 2016 vote — in which 52 percent of British voters chose to leave the EU — the true "epicenter of a populist earthquake," arguing it unleashed a global wave of nationalism that persists today.
"It was no coincidence that Trump presented himself as 'Mr. Brexit' during his campaign," the paper said.
Handelsblatt said signs are emerging that Britain could reverse course, pointing to a leadership crisis in London that could see Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham—a likely successor to Prime Minister Keir Starmer—become the seventh British head of government in a decade.
A British return, the paper argued, would signal to "autocrats like Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping" that their divide-and-rule strategies are no longer reliable.
It would also restore Europe's standing on the world stage at a time when the United States and China have written off the continent, Handelsblatt said.
But the paper cautioned that rejoining would be "a marathon with obstacles" rather than the sprint of 2016.
Oxford historian Timothy Garton Ash warned that European questions remain peripheral in British public debate, with discussion focused mainly on what would be economically best for Britain.
Handelsblatt also reported that the underlying causes of Brexit—anger among those left behind economically, distrust of experts, fear of mass immigration and identity anxieties—remain unresolved, keeping Britain's political atmosphere volatile.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP