Cameron's UK win has implications for Europe beyond a possible Brexit

EU member states will have to decide if new initiatives will help or hinder Cameron's campaign to keep Britain in the EU, says Vivien Pertusot, of the French Institute of International Relations. "The UK debate about EU membership is no longer just a British debate, but a European one. Cameron will come to the table with demands that can affect the development and functioning of the EU as a group of nations. Some policies may now be delayed. Others may never see the light of day."

The threat of a Brexit is already casting a long shadow. "All capitals in Europe will have to think hard about this, again and again. Cameron will say, 'you have to give me something that I can sell back home'," says Pertusot. The Conservative victory will likely impede the drive for further federalisation. "There will be a temptation to slow down negotiations and wait until 2017, so as not to give ammunition to the anti-EU group in Britain."

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