Intervju med Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief negotiator on Brexit i NYR.
Yes, Jean-Claude regrets that he did not intervene in the campaign, nothing else. His point in saying that is that he might have been able to correct some of the lies that were told. However, the reasons for Brexit run deeper. We have to take into account the popular sentiment in Britain. For Britain, it’s probably too late, but it’s not too late for other countries where we have exactly the same problems, including my country.
Looking at the causes of Brexit, we also find typically British reasons: the hope for a return to a powerful global Britain, nostalgia for the past—nostalgia serves no purpose in politics. In my country, too, some politicians still prefer to live in the past. But there were, also, people voting for Brexit who simply don’t want to accept rules. Some based in the City of London voted to leave, as they don’t want to accept the Union’s regulations on their trading; they want to speculate freely and the Union doesn’t allow them to do so.
Finally, and most importantly, there are many people who feel abandoned. They feel that the quality of public services, healthcare, transport, is worsening. We must listen to these fears and address them.
https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2019/...-no-purpose-an-interview-with-michel-barnier/
Synspunkt på det irske problem!
Og de fire friheter:
The British wanted us to agree to divide the famous four freedoms—free movement of people, goods, capital, and services—in what was often called cherry-picking. Why can the four freedoms not be divided? Technically, it would be possible, after all.
It’s a question of the fundamental reality of the single market, which is not a supermarket. Freedom of movement for goods, services, capital and, most importantly, freedom of movement for people are fundamental to the single market. The EU is not only an economic project; it’s also a political project. It’s also much more than a free-trade zone. The single market is a social, economic, and legal ecosystem, where, between twenty-eight countries, we have decided to live together, adopt the same standards and protection for consumers. Therefore, we cannot agree to cherry-picking.