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The UK and the EU reached a last minute trade deal. Who prevailed, who gave in? Now it is about the sovereignty of interpretation.
A victory for common sense: the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Boris Johnson, and the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Photo: Getty Images
It’s the good news at the end of the year: after the Brexit divorce, the UK and the EU are now finding a regular partnership. At the last minute, both sides entered into difficult negotiations on a comprehensive trade agreement agreed. It’s a victory for common sense, a deal against the chaos that would have inevitably threatened since January 1, when Britain left the internal market and the customs union after the EU.
“We have a deal,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Christmas Day and triumphed: Britain would now regain control of money, borders, laws and fishing waters. According to the head of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the fight was worth it. The result is a balanced and fair agreement that guarantees European interests and fair competition.
The divorced cannot be separated from each other, for historical, economic and geographical reasons.
Sure, now both sides will claim victory for themselves. They will highlight that they have asserted their interests. In the next few days it will also be a matter of interpretation. For Boris Johnson, there may be more at stake. The British prime minister promised a lot to the Eurosceptics, namely a return to full sovereignty.
It was an illusion from the start that it will most likely be achieved with a hard Brexit and without a deal. But for the Brexiteer, the price and risk were ultimately too high or too high.
The agreement now describes in sober detail and in great detail where Johnson had to cut back on his dream of national independence. Not in vain the agreement and its annexes have become very extensive. This also illustrates how closely the UK and its European partners will remain linked in the future. Divorced people cannot be separated from each other, for historical, economic and geographical reasons.
In the next few days, experts and politicians will only be able to study the 2000 pages in detail. So the last word has yet to be said. Both parties had to make concessions. For Brussels it was easier from the beginning.
Ursula von der Leyen and Boris Johnson reach an agreement after years of arduous negotiations.
What: Tamedia
For the EU Commission and Member States, it was just about limiting the damage from the start. And here Brussels seems to have been quite successful. For example, the EU may unilaterally impose tariffs or take other countermeasures if the UK ditchs state aid or social norms – possibly more arbitrariness than Switzerland would have to fear under the framework agreement’s dispute resolution mechanism.
The price of the divorce is still unknown, and the winners and losers of Brexit won’t really be known until next year.
Even with the fishingA highly emotional and controversial topic, it will remain the status quo for the next five and a half years, with few restrictions. While Britain is losing unrestricted access to the domestic market in the financial and services sector, by far the most important economic factor in the country. The British, like the Swiss, will have to wait for Brussels’ equivalency decisions on the stock market.
Better no deal than bad deal, that was what London in particular had said for a long time. However, even if the negotiations had failed, both parties should have quickly come to the same table in the new year. Emergency measures against the collapse of the movement of people and goods were only limited to six months. Thanks to the agreement, there will be no great chaos, but the agreement will also cause delays at the borders.
The trade agreement will also end the free movement of goods, there will be controls, congestion and problems with supply chains. The price of the divorce is still unknown, and the winners and losers of Brexit won’t really be known until next year.
