It’s time for Brexmas! Historic Brexit Christmas deal is in effect

Truck jams for miles. Truckers fighting each other. Empty shelves in supermarkets. Perhaps it was the chaos of the last days after the emergence of the crown mutation in England that showed the British what a “no-deal” really means. In any event, late in the afternoon on Wednesday, the smoke indicates that an agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom is still possible: suddenly the path seemed clear for the “Christmas Deal” or a “Brexmas”, that is, a “Christmas Brexit” – Free Trade Agreement that will give the British an orderly relationship with the EU after the end of the transition period on December 31st.

But Brexit wouldn’t be Brexit if it didn’t take more time in the end. One last time they traded all night and half a day. In Brussels, the pizzas were delivered to the EU headquarters late at night. In London, the house cat Larry spent his time hunting pigeons at the government headquarters at 10 Downing Street. The journalists bit their sore nails.

Shortly before Christmas Eve, however, the time had come. “The deal is underway,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter:

And the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a joint press conference with the EU chief negotiator, Michel Barnier:

“This agreement was worth fighting for. It is a fair and balanced deal. And it was the only thing responsible for both parties »

In the end, the negotiations revolved around the details of fishing rights and grew increasingly absurd. Fish species after fish species rattled off negotiators and determined whether EU countries will be able to extract 30, 35 or 25 percent fewer catch from rich British waters over the next few years. As an example: the value of the goods was around 200 million euros, nothing compared to the more than 460,000 million euros that make up the annual trade volume between the EU and the Kingdom.

British fishermen off the coast of Newhaven.

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But the fishing was obviously worth it for those involved. It is as emotionally and politically charged for European coastal states like France as it is for Great Britain. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier is reported to have said behind closed doors that a Brexit deal cannot be sold to European citizens if images of angry fishermen were shown on television screens on January 1. And on the British side, the fish is essentially what defines the idea of ​​Brexit: “regain control”, regain control. So now they have found each other.

Proto-Brexiteer Nigel Farage during the 2016 campaign.

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Nobody knows what exactly is in the “Brexmas Agreement”. Details of the contract text, which includes around 2,000 pages with appendices, have yet to be published. In addition to fishing, there was also a dispute to the last about fair competitive conditions, that is, the same length of skewers and the question of how far the British should adhere to EU rules in the future. It is also uncertain in which institutional framework the relationship will be inserted and what exactly will happen if there are conflicts. One thing is clear: the Court of Justice of the European Communities will not participate in the settlement of disputes. This is particularly interesting from the Swiss point of view in the negotiations on the framework agreement.

However, the deal can only be applied provisionally on January 1, as the EU Parliament has not yet approved it. It could take even longer before the final text is available: first, the specialists have to cede the agreement and transform the legally “dirty” text into a watertight contract.

A new chapter begins

Either way: For Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen, the historic last-minute deal is a success. They did not drop the sword of Damocles of the “No Deal”, which always weighed on the negotiations. In addition to an embarrassing failure of the state of affairs, the economic devastation of a “no-deal” on both sides would have been simply too severe. It is also clear that with an amicable solution at the end, the relationship between the EU and Great Britain, who remain geographically and politically close partners, can be restarted on a positive basis.

Ursula von der Leyen, Director of the Commission:

“Now is the time to turn the page and look to the future with the UK as a partner”

And Boris Johnson:

«I say to our European friends: we will be your allies, your friend and your support. And let’s not forget: your first market »