Von 1980 bis 1988 lief in der BBC die Serie „Yes, Minister!“, in der ein fiktiver Premierminister des Vereinigten Königreichs immer von einem Staatssekretär beraten wurde und so intime Einblicke in die Politik und ihre Gründe der Briten bekam. Vieles davon ist, obwohl es nur eine Serie war, ohne Zweifel nach wie vor die treibende Kraft der Politik der Briten.

Und dies sagten sie damals zu der Europäischen Gemeinschaft, heute natürlich die EU:

Sir Humphrey: Minister, Britain has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last five hundred years: to create a disunited Europe. In that cause we have fought with the Dutch against the Spanish, with the Germans against the French, with the French and Italians against the Germans, and with the French against the Germans and Italians. Divide and rule, you see. Why should we change now, when it’s worked so well?

Hacker: That’s all ancient history, surely?

Sir Humphrey: Yes, and current policy. We ‚had‘ to break the whole thing [the EEC] up, so we had to get inside. We tried to break it up from the outside, but that wouldn’t work. Now that we’re inside we can make a complete pig’s breakfast of the whole thing: set the Germans against the French, the French against the Italians, the Italians against the Dutch. The Foreign Office is terribly pleased; it’s just like old times.

Hacker: But surely we’re all committed to the European ideal?

Sir Humphrey: [chuckles] Really, Minister.

Hacker: If not, why are we pushing for an increase in the membership?

Sir Humphrey: Well, for the same reason. It’s just like the United Nations, in fact; the more members it has, the more arguments it can stir up, the more futile and impotent it becomes.

Hacker: What appalling cynicism.

Sir Humphrey: Yes… We call it diplomacy, Minister.

Warum die bisher noch keiner aus der EU geworfen hat, verstehe ich nicht. Selber schuld.