Brexit was to begin the long agony of the European Union, the beginning of the end hailed by all the continental allies of the British Europhobes. In June 2016, the French Marine Le Pen, the Italian Matteo Salvini and the Dutch Geert Wilders were openly delighted with the victory of the “leave” vote. They had been reinforced, a few months later, by the election of Donald Trump in the United States. Hadn’t the latter given his support to the Brexiters, Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson in the lead, before pleading with European construction throughout his mandate? As Brexit has become a tangible reality, Friday 1er January, after years of laborious negotiations punctuated by serial drama in the United Kingdom, the Twenty-Seven have escaped from the descent into hell that the Cassandra promised them.
No one on the continent is happy to lose an associate the size of the United Kingdom, as rebellious as it is influential, second economy (behind Germany) and second army (behind France). But European leaders have the feeling of duty accomplished with this “orderly Brexit”, the impact of which will not fail to be felt over the coming months. Above all, they hope to be able to finally turn the page, almost surprised not to end up in tatters.
Michel Barnier, the chief negotiator of the European Union, has been hammering it relentlessly since the agreement of December 24: the Twenty-Seven have shown great “Unit” throughout the talks first to conclude the divorce, then to outline the “future relationship”. They were able to close ranks to defend their achievements, starting with the single market, but not only. “What changes is that the country that is leaving us will be alone and that we will stay together”, repeated Mr Barnier.
Snubbed monetary union
The dreaded domino effect was quickly ruled out. In the public opinion of the member states, pro-European attachment has even rebounded, all the more so as the negotiations with London turned out to be tumultuous, due to the political rifts observed in the British capital. “The way it happened has dampened enthusiasm, Le Pen and Salvini no longer dare to speak of leaving the EU, or the euro, notes Philippe Lamberts, the co-chair of the environmental group in the European Parliament.
After having continued to expand since its creation, the Union has had to learn to cut ties with one of its most powerful members, who has left a deep mark on it since its accession in 1973. London has supported as none other the establishment of the Common Market and liberalization policies, then campaigned for the enlargement of the European club. For the British, the European project was to come down for the most part to a market as open and as large as possible, the very one they left on 1er January.
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