That’s French whine... Macron blasts ‘Brexit lies and false promises’
GLOOMY Emmanuel Macron used the opportunity of his televised New Year address to his nation to aim yet more barbs at Brexit.
The French president called Britain leaving ‘the product of lies and false promises’ – and insisted his country’s future remained very much wedded to the EU.
His address came just hours before the UK’s formal separation from the EU at 11pm on New Year’s Eve – and yesterday the feared delays and long queues of lorries at Dover and Calais failed to materialise.
Drivers were waved on to Eurotunnel
‘Quickest and best way possible’
Our first day of freedom – and all rolling smoothly at Britain’s ports
trains with little delay as freight travelled seamlessly between the UK and France. The head of the port at Calais, Jean-Marc Puissesseau, said Brexit was ‘ not synonymous with a snarling up of traffic’. Lord Llewellyn, the UK’s ambassador to France, was at Calais and said things were ‘running smoothly’.
The French government spent £36million on ‘smart border’ technology – with drivers filling out an online pass – and hired 700 customs officers.
French authorities now demand a negative Covid-19 test for hauliers coming from Britain after the emergence of the new strain of the disease. But France’s Europe minister Clement Beaune said that he hoped the new restrictions would be weakened or lifted ‘as soon as possible’.
He also vowed to ensure British holidaymakers could travel to France in ‘the quickest, best way possible’.
In his address to the nation, Mr Macron insisted the trade deal with Britain was ‘defending our interests, our industries, our fishermen and our European unity’, before stressing the need to build ‘a stronger, more autonomous, more united Europe.’
He said: ‘Our destiny is first and foremost in Europe. The United Kingdom remains our neighbour, but also our friend and ally. This choice to leave Europe, this Brexit, was the child of the European malaise and of many lies and false promises.’
Mr Macron said the EU had to ignore one nation leaving and continue on its course.
Despite the much-criticised delay in approving vaccines in Europe, he insisted the continent will emerge from Covid in a strong position.