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The Telegraph
Brexit: EU has ‘completely irrational demands’ from Britain, says Mark Higgie
A former Australian ambassador to the EU has accused Brussels of making “completely unreasonable demands on Britain” and is warning the UK to use “extreme caution” in any future trade relationship with China because the country was “a bully and a bully. shocking “decided to make an example of Australia after the country called for a global investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 virus. Mark Higgie, senior political adviser to Tony Abbott, the former Australian prime minister, served as ambassador to Brussels from 2014 to 2017. In a lengthy and sometimes scathing interview with the Planet Normal podcast (listen on the audio player above ), Higgie says he believes there will be a last-minute trade deal between the UK and the EU, but warns Britain not to compromise on the sovereignty issue. “I think it would be a big mistake.” According to Higgie, now a member of the conservative think tank at the Danube Institute, the EU is making unacceptable demands to punish Britain for leaving its “club”. “Basically, [the EU position is] stay in its orbit and, by the way, give us 80% of its fish, “says Higgie. “This saga has gone on for so many years and you would think that the establishment in Brussels would understand Britain’s desire to restore sovereignty, but they just don’t understand it. They really are obtuse. “Higgie says that for the EU, the UK’s exit is” the biggest setback in its 62-year history “and” it is quite inevitable that there will be a lot of anger. And I think the element of punishing Britain for what it has done and also as an example to other countries is a real factor in the background. “Higgie praises the British negotiators, led by Lord Frost, for having” kept the spirits with all of this. ”Recalling in particular Donald Tusk’s treatment of Theresa May, he says the EU side“ has been consistently rude to British representatives. ”Nigel Farage was right, says Higgie, when he asserted that the EU it was “a junkyard for failed politicians.” The current president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was such a poor defense minister that “Germany would not have been able to launch a war in 1939 if von der Leyen had been in charge. of its armed forces. ”Higgie predicts that the new fault line within the European Union will have divergent values on a variety of important issues. Migration is the most important.” It contrasts the increasingly “awakened” attitudes of EU leaders with the belief of countries like Hungary and Poland that “the European Union should genuinely defend its external borders.” Asked about the future of the UK outside the EU, Higgie says that “Britain is going to be absolutely fine. These things take time, you know? While citing Australia’s free trade agreement with China as an achievement, the former ambassador warns the UK against similar over-reliance on that country. “I mean now we are in a situation where China is our most important export market and China is being a shocking bully and has decided, I think, to set an example from Australia because we had the recklessness to call for a global investigation. on the origins of the Covid pandemic. And they were furious with it. Now, sector by sector, they are finding reasons not to import our stuff. “Britain, Higgie says, will try a free trade deal with China” but for God’s sake don’t put too many eggs in China’s basket. ” to Planet Normal, a weekly Telegraph podcast with news and views from beyond the bubble for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast app. Join Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan to discuss the Brexit trade deals and the Last episode of Planet Normal in the comment section of this article at 11am on Thursday, December 17th.
