Out of many nations, a single message: Europe is united
BRUSSELS (AP) — Unlike the political chaos that has roiled Britain over Brexit, there has been no such squabbling among the 27 other European Union nations during the impending divorce.
The two years of negotiations has shown a unity in the EU that many observers thought was not possible.
Even British politician Nigel Farage, a force behind the 2016 referendum on Brexit who finds little to praise about the EU, has given grudging admiration.
“We, as Brexiteers, are up against a very well-organized enemy,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday.
Over the years, EU nations have fought often and hard over many issues like migration, fishing rights and kicking Greece out of the common currency union. On Brexit, though, their lawmakers have stuck together despite the many cultures, languages and political beliefs.
But when British Prime Minister Theresa May came to Brussels on Thursday for talks with her European counterparts, seeking help to fix her domestic problems in Parliament, the tables had turned for all to see.
May was forced to withdraw the Brexit plan from a vote in Britain’s Parliament this week when it was clear it did not have enough support to win. Too many lawmakers thought the terms were too tough and would still tie Britain to too many EU rules and constraints, perhaps indefinitely.
She made a whirlwind diplomatic tour of key European capitals to see what could be achieved and whether there were any fissures to exploit among the bloc’s members.
But the nations said there would be no turning back on the 585-page legal agreement they had reached with May.
Their message was the same, an Alpine echo from Berlin to Paris to Vienna.