The local television station, IB3, is sending a reporter to Britain to cover Britain´s exit from the European Union. Spanish colleagues have been telling me all week that Britain is leaving on January 31. So in Majorca, at least, Britain´s departure from the European Union is a big story...but not so much in Britain or even amongst the British. I saw a post on facebook from someone asking whether we should be celebrating leaving the European Union? She got little or no interest. But I suppose it is normal that three years after the referendum, people are a bit Brexit bored.
In Majorca there is concern how Brexit will hit the tourist industry and the local economy. There is also the worry over the future of the European Union. Any fall in the number of British tourists coming to the island will hit the local economy. The British are also heavily involved in the local real estate and nautical sector.
As I have said on numerous occasions in this space I sincerely doubt that Brexit will have a short-term impact. In the long-term, perhaps so, but not now. What is evident is that Spain is not going to put up barriers to its principal tourist market and Britain is not going to put barriers to one of its major investors. What Spain should fear, though, is that if Brexit fails it will have a direct impact on the British economy which will affect Spain. While Britain is leaving the European Union many in Europe will be hoping that Brexit works, at least economically speaking.