The EU must start taking Brexit seriously | City A.M.
From the UK’s perspective, the weeks leading up to the summer recess were eventful to say the least.
From the controversial unveiling of Theresa May’s Chequers plan, to the resignations of David Davis, Boris Johnson, and several other high-profile officials, Brexit was all anyone could talk about.
Now, with just a little over half a year before the exit, the British headlines are full of concern that the UK is edging closer and closer to a “no-deal” scenario.
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In all this chaos, it is easy to forget about the other side of the debate: the EU.
While a few EU officials initially voiced encouragement for May’s plan, Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, quickly shot it down. Other than that, Brussels has remained relatively quiet about the first concrete official plan on the exit of a member state.
While this may partly be down to the summer holidays, with many Eurocrats spending the last few weeks lying on beaches, it almost seems as if Brussels and its member states don’t really care. The fact that, at the council meeting in June – dubbed “the mother of all EU summits” – Brexit was only discussed briefly and didn’t even show up in the conclusions speaks volumes.
The EU perhaps needs to be reminded that the UK is its second largest economy, and that its exit has profound consequences for everyone involved.
Prior to this recent state of ambivalence, the EU’s attitude could be characterised as outright hostility to any and all proposals made by London.
EU heavyweights have not been subtle about their disapproval with Britain’s decision to leave.
From Guy Verhofstadt, who told Davis “welcome to hell”, to European Council president Donald Tusk musing that “the only real alternative to a hard Brexit is no Brexit”, to Barnier himself saying that the EU intends “to teach people what leaving the Single Market means”, the tone of Brussels has been one of threats rather than diplomacy.
The EU officials’ position has been to cherry-pick – one of the buzzwords most often used by Brussels when it comes to London – the points they disagree on the British proposals, rather than engaging in discussion or offering their own ideas on how the future relationship might look.
But time is running out, and both the indifference of today and the hostile attitude of yesterday need to stop.
Barnier’s opposition to Chequers is the next step in a questionable strategy. With the Chequers plan, May has compromised as far as she can with her own party – possibly too far. As Open Europe’s Henry Newman put it, “this is very close to the maximum compromise the UK could sustain politically”.
What of compromise from Brussels? Last month, when Barnier was asked about the EU’s red lines, he denied that it had any whatsoever, instead arguing “we have the fundamental principles on which the EU is based”.
While this delusion might make a good soundbite, it is about time that Brussels moved on its positions as well. Intentionally damaging the UK doesn’t help anyone – it would hurt European economies just as much, and sour the possibilities of future collaboration.
An agreement where both sides benefit should – and still can – be found. But this is not the sole responsibility of one side.
Brussels needs to realise that it also plays a major part in finding a solution. Speaking as a European, I am worried that the special bond between continental Europe and Britain might be destroyed by the ineptitude of adults who should know better.
EU, I’m looking at you.
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