Reopening Brexit talks would require political capital that Brussels currently does not have or is unwilling to allocate. A Labour victory may not be enough to put the issue on the EU agenda.
Neither good nor bad things. In Brussels, people simply do not think about the United Kingdom and its Brexit talksWith two wars underway, one inside Europe and one close to it, and with the European institutions in the midst of a reconfiguration following the European elections, in the corridors of the European Union (EU) the priority is far from maintaining relations with the country that left the bloc in 2016.
A senior source close to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the Guardian that “reopening Brexit talks would require a lot of political capital and absorb a lot of resources in Brussels.” Resources that are currently being spent on other issues considered a priority by major European frameworks, namely Rise of the Far Rightwhich was consolidated this Sunday with the victory of the National Union in France. The party led by Marine Le Pen, together with its allies, obtained 33.15% of the votes in the first round of the elections, according to official data released by the French Ministry of the Interior.
A second senior source told the British newspaper that “there is no appetite for Brexit in European capitals” and said the EU will not rush to reopen Brexit negotiations with the UK, even if the deal is finalised next Thursday. work comes to power After more than 14 years of Conservative rule, the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, remains ahead in most polls.
Senior Commission sources also indicated that the UK would have to make a big offer in return for any concessions to strengthen relations with the occupied bloc. “If we are asked to give the UK a gift, the question will be what we will get in return. People will wonder if the suffering is worth it,” said one senior Brussels diplomat.
In the last debate before the elections, Rishi Sunak was clear and assured that he does not want to change anything in relations with the EU, while Keir Starmer – who has already ruled out the possibility of rejoining the customs union or the single market – wants a more solid agreement with the community bloc.
Sunak tried a last-ditch effort to cut the deficit, but Starmer waved off “change”
In the opinion of the still British Prime Minister, the 2016 referendum decision on the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU must be respected and now it is up to the British government to do the “best it can”. Keir Starmer disagrees and admits that he voted in favour of remaining in the EU. The Labour Party believes that a “better trade agreement” with Brussels is necessary, since the current one is detrimental to the British.
As The Guardian points out, even if a change of British government pleases senior European officials, “the deep scars” left by the Conservatives during the Brexit negotiations, together with the new priorities brought about by the war in Ukraine and the Rise of the Far Rightweigh heavily on the low importance given to possible negotiations between the 27 and the United Kingdom.
The UK election will take place on 4 July. The candidates are the current Prime Minister, the Conservative Rishi Sunak, and the leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer. Most polls published after the second debate indicate that the Conservative Party, in power for 14 years, is heading for a heavy defeat.
Source: Observadora
