UK’s Brexit frolics only aggravate global gloom
It has been generally concluded that British Prime Minister Theresa May postponed a parliamentary vote on Brexit scheduled for Tuesday as she anticipated a crushing defeat.
Up until then, the embattled May had steadfastly held on to the line that it was either her deal or no deal for the United Kingdom’s petulant parting from the European Union. She categorically ruled out any other options.
As did Brussels.
European Council President Donald Tusk made clear there was no possibility of reopening negotiations ahead of the planned vote, when he tweeted on Monday that the EU would not renegotiate the deal.
Now that May has bowed to reason and accepted that her deal was already dead in the water since there was no possibility of it gaining a parliamentary seal of approval, she is desperately trying to get additional concessions from the EU ahead of a vote that is now penciled in for some time in January. Although it seems her mission will be in vain, as the message she will hear is expected to remain the same — she got the best and only deal on offer.
Without tangible concessions from Brussels, delaying the vote is just delaying the inevitable. And even if the EU was willing to renegotiate, there is no way that a deal can be found that will appease everyone.
Meanwhile, to compound what is already a somewhat bizarre mess of the UK’s own making, the European Court of Justice ruled on Monday that the UK can pretend the whole thing was just a bad dream as it can stop the article 50 process without seeking the EU’s approval.
Really, you couldn’t make it up. If it wasn’t for the fact that the repercussions are so serious — and not just for the UK — it would be viewed as a comedy of errors.
Yet here we are. And whatever happens next there will be shock waves. Not just in terms of the economic consequences of whatever unfolds, but also in terms of the social tensions that Brexit has helped to expose in both the UK and the EU. These will only be aggravated, come what may.
Whether Brexit is hard or soft, or even if it never happens, there are going to be a lot of pieces that will need to be picked up as quickly as possible to restore a sense of stability and restore confidence in the validity and meaning of the UK and EU institutions.