Crunch time for Brexit
Boris Johnson cleared the way for a last-ditch push towards a Brexit deal this week by dropping his threat to break international law and renege on parts of the EU Withdrawal Agreement. As talks went down to the wire, the PM said that the UK and EU had reached a deal on the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol governing future trade between mainland Britain and the province – a major boost to relations between London and Brussels. But as The Week went to press, significant differences remained between the two sides over fishing, “level playing field” rules against unfair competition, and future governance of those rules.
Johnson travelled to Brussels this Wednesday for showdown talks with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, as both sides sought to narrow their differences. EU leaders were then due to be briefed on the talks’ outcome at a critical summit starting on Thursday.
What the editorials said
It used to be Britain that was portrayed as the “unreasonable and chaotic” party in the Brexit negotiations, said The Daily Telegraph. But as the clock ticks towards the deadline, it’s the EU that looks divided, with Germany urging compromise as France plays hardball, demanding tougher terms, particularly over fishing quotas. President Macron is mistaken if he thinks Britain will be chastened into making concessions. Although Johnson wants to make a deal, France’s stance may scupper the chances. And if that should come to pass, “not only would French fishermen lose all access to British waters, it could poison the well of relations for decades”.
Some “chest-beating” from across the Channel was inevitable at this stage in the process, said The Times. But the fact is that none of the outstanding issues should be sufficiently problematic to torpedo a deal at the 11th hour. Let’s hope not, said The Independent: a no-deal Brexit would compound the damage the pandemic has wrought on our economy, and make life more complicated for millions of people in the EU and the UK.