The Guardian: UK General Election Result to Impact Brexit Talks

Political leaders in democracies need solid support before embarking on sweeping policy changes. In Britain, Theresa May miscalculated in calling for a general election to strengthen her hand before Brexit negotiations. Instead, the snap election, with a greater turnout by young voters, resulted in a hung parliament. The country remains divided over how to proceed on Brexit - in the 2016 referendum, a bare majority gave the go-ahead for the country to leave the European Union. May already triggered the two-year process for Brexit negotiations in March, and a hung parliament could delay talks while coalitions must organize, preparing new positions and approaches. “There is a widespread belief in EU capitals that Britain has underestimated both the complexity of the coming negotiations,” reports John Henley for the Guardian. European Union leaders had already anticipated difficult negotiations on trade, the Irish border, rights for EU citizens living in Britain and British citizens in the EU, as well as total exit costs. A hung parliament may result in bickering over the many details, increasing uncertainty, or force a new spirit of cooperation required for sweeping policy change. – YaleGlobal