Lots of interesting debate following @anandMenon1 in @FT
So here is an anecdote about Angela Merkel’s pullover.
In other words, here is the most interesting answer I had when I asked an EU diplomat the Ivan Rogers question: was the EU all tactics and no strategy over Brexit?
So here is an anecdote about Angela Merkel’s pullover.
In other words, here is the most interesting answer I had when I asked an EU diplomat the Ivan Rogers question: was the EU all tactics and no strategy over Brexit?
@anandMenon1 @FT In autumn 2016 Angela Merkel, François Hollande and Jean-Claude Juncker met European industry leaders.
The business leaders said their UK counterparts were urging them to lobby politicians to keep the UK in the single market. (Basically - German carmakers level one).
The business leaders said their UK counterparts were urging them to lobby politicians to keep the UK in the single market. (Basically - German carmakers level one).
@anandMenon1 @FT The politicians were emphatic, according to the account I heard from an EU source.
François Hollande said if the EU allowed non-EU countries to be part of the single market, this would dissolve the political cement that keeps the four freedoms together.
François Hollande said if the EU allowed non-EU countries to be part of the single market, this would dissolve the political cement that keeps the four freedoms together.
@anandMenon1 @FT Merkel said she fully agreed: The single market is like a pullover, she said, according to recollection of someone who was there. "It has a hole. Either you take care of the hole or you start to pull the threads. And if you pull the threads then you have no pullover.”
In other words: from the start the EU saw a bespoke British deal as a threat. That’s why pick and choose offered to Ukraine (to bring it closer to EU orbit) was not on offer for UK. And that’s how I read Barnier’s comment cited in Anand's v interesting FT piece.
In August 2016 @Bruegel_org proposed splitting free movement of people from the other freedoms. One senior official said at the time: it might make economic sense, but it is “politically naive”.
Also interesting that France’s big enlargement plan would allow non member states to participate in EU customs union and single market before joining the EU. So new categories of semi membership cd be created on demand. But accession opposite to exit.
One thing clear: Boris Johnson is much easier for the EU to deal with than Theresa May.
Whereas May wanted deep and special bespoke, Johnson wants a basic free-trade deal off the shelf. That's easier for EU to understand and to negotiate.
Whereas May wanted deep and special bespoke, Johnson wants a basic free-trade deal off the shelf. That's easier for EU to understand and to negotiate.
