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The horrified European media have accused Boris Johnson of “denying reality”, “justifying the unjustifiable” and “destroying the reputation of his country” after the government revealed Brexit plans that the EU believes violate international law.
“Is a contract a contract? Not for Boris Johnson, ”Germany’s Der Spiegel wrote of the UK’s internal market bill, which would give ministers wide powers to“ waive ”parts of the withdrawal agreement the prime minister signed in January.
UK chief negotiator David Frost can ask the EU for more realism, the magazine said. “That’s funny. Because on the EU side, we’ve been wondering for a long time how to be realistic with a negotiating partner that adjusts reality on a weekly basis.”
The latest British proposal to ignore parts of the Northern Ireland protocol was “depressing, frustrating and shocking, but not really surprising, because when it comes to Northern Ireland, Boris Johnson is a repeat offender,” he said.
Having rejected the endorsement agreed to by his predecessor and then hailed as a triumph what was in fact a major concession to the EU, the prime minister promised Northern Ireland companies that they had nothing to fear, despite an international agreement binding.
“With his latest U-turn, Johnson again proves that he just makes the world the way he likes it,” concluded Der Spiegel. But you should consider one thing: denial of reality can be a renewable resource, especially around the world. Patience and confidence are not. “
Die Welt said Johnson’s plans to use national law to undermine the withdrawal agreement, while insisting that he would rather not reach an agreement than commit to the EU, marked a new level of provocation.
“Breaking an international treaty would take Johnson’s well-known bulldozer mentality to new heights,” the newspaper said, suggesting he was caving in to hardline conservatives and counting on Covid-19 to cover the economic damage of not negotiating.
In France, Libération said that it is now official: “The democratic government of a country respected throughout the world for its legal rigor has proposed to include non-compliance with international law in its national legislation.”
The newspaper pointed out the absurdity of the government’s claim that the withdrawal agreement had been “hastily negotiated.“, noting that it was signed three and a half years after the referendum and formed the basis of Johnson’s election campaign.
“But what is your strategy?” I ask. “Do you want to pressure the EU to abandon the negotiations on a trade agreement and then be able to blame it for the failure of the talks? Or do you think this shocking move will push Brussels into greater engagement?
Either way, it was to be expected of a prime minister who just a year ago “tried to justify the unjustifiable when he illegally suspended parliament.” He has “repeatedly shown that his reputation and that of his country do not bother him.”
Le Monde also wondered whether the government’s latest move was “an attempt to pressure the Europeans to secure a favorable deal before the end of the year, or a deliberate move aimed at causing the talks to break down.”
Brexit was coming to an end, the newspaper said, and for London, negotiating a deal meant limiting the negative consequences of Britain’s decision. He preferred to stick his head in the sand, “even if it means destroying the reputation of the UK.”
Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad said that the internal market bill “clearly violates the agreements it signed less than a year ago with the EU.”
After firing Tory MPs who disagreed with him and illegally suspending parliament, the violation of an international treaty is apparently another unreliable tool in the prime minister’s box that he “considers necessary to finally resolve Brexit. and stay in power. “
It’s all part of his “beloved chaos theory,” whose goal is to create “maximum pressure and maximum shock” and ultimately give him what he wants, whatever it is.
El Pais de España said no one could say yet whether Johnson’s offer to allow the UK to unilaterally modify the deal was “just another barbaric negotiating ploy.”
The government may insist that it is “acting in good faith” and only aims to “connect the dots and avoid loopholes.” But Johnson clearly does not back down from his decision, “which has poisoned the already tense climate of the talks … Everything suggests that this time, he has gone too far.”
