The EU began as a trading collaboration.
Some politicians would like to see it become a United States of Europe.
You've had a few hundred years to sort it out in the USA. Separate state governments creating some laws with a national government doing the rest.
In the European Union each country is an independent state. And none of them likes to be told what to do by the central EU government even though they generally agree that being able to trade and move freely between the countries is a good idea.
Monetary union requires all countries in it to stick to the rules. Enforcement is difficult. Unfortunately some are better with rules (Germany) than others (Italy, Greece) which led to big economic problems in the Euro-zone which Germany, as the wealthiest Euro-zone nation, has ended up paying for.
The UK didn't join the Euro because our government suspected that what happened with the Euro would happen - they were proved correct. As a result the recent recession has hit us less badly than other EU nations.
So why would we leave the EU? Because some believe that we would do even better without any direction from the EU and by negotiating our own deals.
This is the equivalent of Hawaii, an island state, deciding to have a referendum to leave the USA because some think they might do better for themselves without the federal government making decisions for them.
It's a very big deal. Arguments have got very bitter. There's been a lot of misinformation on both sides. And, sadly, a few nutters have tried to make this a right wing xenophobic debate using refugee migrants as their excuse to pull up the drawbridge.
The repercussions if we vote out will be huge and not just for us. It could be the start of the break up of the EU which is basically held together by Germany, France and the UK.
And if we vote in? The EU may still fall apart. Today won't be the end of this.
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