Prime minister’s letter to European Union starts the clock ticking on ‘historic’ Brexit
LONDON — A little over nine months after British voters chose to withdraw from the European Union, Britain took a decisive — and likely irreversible — step Wednesday toward ending a partnership that has bound the country to the continent for nearly half a century.
With the simple handoff of a letter in Brussels, the British government became the first to trigger Article 50 — the mechanism for nations to exit the European Union.
“This is a historic moment from which there can be no turning back,” Prime Minister Theresa May announced to a momentarily hushed House of Commons, before debate later turned rowdy.
Stakes are enormous
In Brussels, European Council President Donald Tusk said there was “no reason to pretend that this is a happy day.”
“After all,” a visibly upset Tusk said, “most Europeans, including nearly half the British voters, wish that we would stay together, not drift apart.”
The move instantly plunged Britain and the 27 other EU nations into two years of what will almost certainly be messy and acrimonious negotiations over the terms of divorce.
The talks will encompass a dizzying array of subjects, including trade terms, immigration rules, financial regulations and, of course, money. Britain joined the group that became the European Union in 1973, so decades of ties, pacts and arrangements are part of the complex unraveling.
For both sides, the stakes are enormous.
Britain could be forced to reorient its economy — the world’s fifth largest — if it loses favorable terms with its biggest trade partner. It also may not survive the departure in one piece, with Scotland threatening to bolt.
The European Union, which for decades has only expanded its integrative reach, faces perhaps an even greater existential threat. If Britain is able to secure an attractive deal, other countries contemplating their own departures could speed toward the exits.
The formal declaration of Britain’s intention came in the form of a six-page letter from May to Tusk. The letter, which opened with the handwritten salutation “Dear President Tusk” and ended with a scrawled prime-ministerial signature, was delivered by Britain’s ambassador to the EU, Tim Barrow. ‘Let’s remain friends’
Tusk later tweeted a photo of the moment he received the letter as the men stood in front of EU flags and Union Jacks. Barrow appeared to be grinning; Tusk was grimacing.
From both sides of the English Channel on Wednesday, there were attempts to take the heat out of what had become a grievance-filled split even before it officially got underway. The top diplomat for the European Union’s most powerful member, Germany, said he wished Britain well.
“The stale-sounding sentence used in private life after a divorce, ‘Let’s remain friends,’ is right in this case,” said German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.
Despite the risks, Britain’s impending exit was celebrated Wednesday by the country’s staunchly pro-Brexit tabloids.
“Freedom!” exulted the front page of the Daily Mail.
The mood was far more somber among EU advocates. Before walking away from the podium Wednesday, Tusk had a poignant final message for Britain:
“We already miss you.”