News Summary: Britain mulls split from Europe

SO GOES THE KINGDOM: The 17 members of the European Union monetary block have been forced to move closer to unity during the economic crisis, something closer to a United States of Europe. Great Britain, is moving in the opposite direction and the real decision appears to be whether to drive away or make a clean break.

UNION JACK OR BUST: The British public shows no interest in moving closer to the rest of Europe, and most can't even seem to stomach the status quo. After a 2015 election, Britain — among 10 of the 27 EU nations that don't use the euro — is likely to hold a referendum on whether to leave the EU.

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER: Even if it doesn't hold a vote, the country is already unpicking its ties with Europe, a movement that has unsettled Germany, which is eager to retain the U.K. as an important economic driver of the bloc. But the British have grown increasingly leery of the UE, not only because of the economic crisis, but also laws with which it does not agree, such as giving prisoners a vote in national elections.