To preface: This is not in defence of the EU. There will be no imperialist apologia in this post/question.
The push for EU exits is overwhelmingly right-wing in the majority of EU countries. We knew beforehand what the result of a move like Brexit would be like for the UK, especially for the material conditions of the working class, at the very least in the short-term, which was quickly confirmed by the situation we can currently see.
While no one can claim that the EU's supposed 'rule of law' and institutions have managed to curb the resurgence of fascism, as evidenced by the popularity of fascist rhetoric and political parties in most EU countries, it still worth noting that they strongly oppose the EU nonetheless.
However minimal, right-wing and fascist parties are limited by the EU in their desired expression of xenophobic, queerphobic, abelist, anti-immigrant, and other generally hateful policies where marginalised people are used as scapegoats. Limitations they would very much like to be rid of.
The push for Brexit-style EU exits is an overwhelmingly right-wing project, where leftist anti-imperialist anti-EU voices are reduced to the fringes or are completely unheard of. The aftermath of the success of such a project, while it would weaken the EU, is shouldered by the most vulnerable, most marginalised groups of the working class in such countries. Immigrants, people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, unhoused people, etc. who now have a fully unchained rabid dog going after them.
I thus pose the following questions:
In the pursuit of weakening the EU by voting 'leave' in Brexit or a Brexit-style referendum in Europe, knowing that it's overwhelmingly supported by right-wing and outwardly fascist movements who will be in power:
- Are we offering up the working class of imperialist countries, especially those who are most vulnerable and marginalised, as sacrificial lambs?
- Is it an unavoidable fate in the fight against imperialism?
- Are the working class of imperialist nations perceived as a sort-of global bourgeoisie in the global north/south relation?
- Is it always strategically correct for the left to back such movements even when they're under the overwhelming control of right-wing and fascist groups who will inevitably rise to power in the aftermath?
I am probably very wrong in multiple areas of my conception and analysis here so please do not hold back on calling them out.
I don't disagree with any of the points you raise.
I'm mainly asking about what we should do in the case that a similar referendum happens in the EU when this rhetoric is already controlled by the right. Assuming we don't have the time/opportunity to build and grow our own leftist anti-EU rhetoric.
The assumption here is that we would know beforehand, given the popularity of the right, that they would rise to power in the direct aftermath and accelerate the worsening of the material conditions for the working class, in addition to enacting a lot of hateful policies for marginalised groups.
The question is less about what should the left's position be on the EU in general, rather about what should be done at that specific point in time where you know what the immediate consequences would be if that country left the EU through a rightist movement.
In other words: should an EU-exit be delayed by leftists until it happens under more favourable conditions?
As i said, the way i see it priority number one if you are a leftist in the EU is to get your country of the EU and out of NATO asap. An EU exit should under no circumstances be delayed, and not only should the left waste no time in beginning to agitate for leaving the EU, but the left should already be preparing or at least making plans for how to take full advantage of the inevitable instability and political chaos of the aftermath if and when the forces on the right succeed with their own attempts, which given that we are behind the curve on this they probably will. The right will discredit itself because it offers no real solutions, the material conditions will not improve so the left just needs to be ready to pick up the pieces once the population is disillusioned with the fake "populist" promises of the right.
Of course if all you do is just leave the EU in name only but have no plans for building an actually different model afterwards, then you achieve nothing - just look at Britain. What needs to be done starting day one after an EU exit is rapprochement/integration with BRICS, de-financialization (under new national currencies) and massive investment into real industry and infrastructure (in particular on the energy front with green and nuclear energy). The "populist" right won't do any of this as they are fundamentally neoliberal in their economic outlook, so that is where the left will have the best opportunity to show that we actually offer solutions that lead to real tangible benefits for the majority of the people, the working class first and foremost.