The United Kingdom and the European Union face a deadline on March 29th, the day scheduled for Brexit. Brexit is a term used to describe the decision by the United Kingdom, sometimes referred to as Britain, to exit the European Union. The two sides must come to an agreement about how they will exit, or they will face some potentially serious consequences.
The European Union is a group of 28 countries in Europe. People and goods can move between these countries freely. Nineteen of these countries even use the same type of money – the euro. On June 23, 2016, the people of Britain voted in a referendum [a vote about a single political issue] to leave the European Union. It was a close decision, and the result to leave the European Union is seen as part of a growing trend of nationalism [identifying with your country above all else].
After the decision, Britain and the European Union need to decide how to trade with each other. They have had almost two years to come to an agreement before Britain would leave the European Union. On March 29th those two years are up. People working on an agreement say there could be an extension. Some have even suggested that the United Kingdom may hold another referendum on Brexit. Without an agreement on trade, goods may not be able to move between Britain and the rest of Europe. Some people fear shortages of needed goods such as food and medicine.
What Do You Think? Have you ever had a deadline to decide something? What did you do?
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