Danllan
Member
- Location
- Sir Gar / Carms
Of course we all know Mr Castex is the French PM, and so is at the top of French, perhaps even European, politics; but what we didn't know is that he wants to give Boris Johnson as much political help as he can.
Mr Castex has, it seems, written to the 'President' of the EC - UvdL - to ensure harsher treatment for the UK and, specifically, to make sure that other EU member states are shown that it is 'more damaging to leave the EU than to stay in it'... In my view that's an interesting turn of phrase if ever there was one, , and certainly not what I'd have chosen in his place - but that's just in passing.
What Mr Castex has in fact done is, obviously, make Boris's life a lot easier. Firstly, such things tend to irritate even those who would have preferred the UK to remain in the EU, they certainly can't disagree when Boris says things like 'There should be no punitive treatment'. Secondly, if there is any, any evidence at all that any EU policy or action - or that of any member state effecting the UK / EU deal - has been directed toward making anything 'damaging', 'harsh' or even just 'difficult' for the UK, it will be in material breach of the agreement.
That isn't a matter for argument, their is no 'grey' area in it, no 'range of opinions', it's absolutely clear and legally unquestionable, both parties are bound to act in good faith in performance of the agreement and all of its terms. My bet is that, because of this, there are a fair number of people over in Europe now wishing they'd kept themselves to themselves.
Now, if you will, cast your minds back a bit to when there was UvdL's panic about vaccines and the EC came very, very close to triggering Article 16 in re the UK / ROI border. Fortunately HMG and few of the more sensible in Dublin acted calmly and told* them to wind their necks in, I'm minded that even @Ashtree wrote as much at the time - so it must be true.
For the EU it set a very awkward precedent regarding Art. 16, something that was never, ever supposed to be used; it also gave Boris and chums a 'get out of jail free card' without an expiry date. Many of us have suspected for some time that the EU was trying to make things unnecessarily difficult for the UK, such seems now to be the proven case, and the EU have given Boris another free card.
*I guess 'told' is probably a very diplomatic term for what actually happened...
Mr Castex has, it seems, written to the 'President' of the EC - UvdL - to ensure harsher treatment for the UK and, specifically, to make sure that other EU member states are shown that it is 'more damaging to leave the EU than to stay in it'... In my view that's an interesting turn of phrase if ever there was one, , and certainly not what I'd have chosen in his place - but that's just in passing.
What Mr Castex has in fact done is, obviously, make Boris's life a lot easier. Firstly, such things tend to irritate even those who would have preferred the UK to remain in the EU, they certainly can't disagree when Boris says things like 'There should be no punitive treatment'. Secondly, if there is any, any evidence at all that any EU policy or action - or that of any member state effecting the UK / EU deal - has been directed toward making anything 'damaging', 'harsh' or even just 'difficult' for the UK, it will be in material breach of the agreement.
That isn't a matter for argument, their is no 'grey' area in it, no 'range of opinions', it's absolutely clear and legally unquestionable, both parties are bound to act in good faith in performance of the agreement and all of its terms. My bet is that, because of this, there are a fair number of people over in Europe now wishing they'd kept themselves to themselves.
Now, if you will, cast your minds back a bit to when there was UvdL's panic about vaccines and the EC came very, very close to triggering Article 16 in re the UK / ROI border. Fortunately HMG and few of the more sensible in Dublin acted calmly and told* them to wind their necks in, I'm minded that even @Ashtree wrote as much at the time - so it must be true.
For the EU it set a very awkward precedent regarding Art. 16, something that was never, ever supposed to be used; it also gave Boris and chums a 'get out of jail free card' without an expiry date. Many of us have suspected for some time that the EU was trying to make things unnecessarily difficult for the UK, such seems now to be the proven case, and the EU have given Boris another free card.
*I guess 'told' is probably a very diplomatic term for what actually happened...