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Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Sunday, July 23, 2017
When did Britain become family in the European Union?
We may analyse Europe as a process. Europe grew as an entity from wars among nations, gripped in warfare over centuries. It had winners and losers, most often it was losers.
( July 22, 2017, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Britain’s
Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, stated in Parliament earlier this
week, “EU leaders can go whistle” amid claims that Britain’s withdrawal
bill could be as high as Euro 100 billion (£87.6 bn. and EU Negotiator
Barnier said in response “I am not hearing any whistling, just the clock
ticking.”
In Round 2 of the negotiations on Brexit in Brussels, we see Britain is
under pressure to be willing to action key aspects of EU plans, which no
longer command a majority in Parliament.
There is no change in the belief that all details will be hammered out
in 20 months. Thus a longer transition period may be required. Whether
this can be negotiated is a separate question.
There seems to be two sticking points:
1. The financial settlement.
2. The fundamentals of Britain’s future relationship.
1. The financial settlement.
2. The fundamentals of Britain’s future relationship.
With the slender majority, the most noticeable feature inside Parliament
is to minimise the number of votes in the Commons. Legislation is to be
the last resort, not the first.
Britain and the EU are poles apart
We have to understand the background of Europe and the origins,
traditions and unwritten laws and conventions in UK to wonder why after
40 odd years of association, the time is now for a separation of ways.
We may analyse Europe as a process. Europe grew as an entity from wars
among nations, gripped in warfare over centuries. It had winners and
losers, most often it was losers.
Britain on the other hand barely recovered from the economic and social
trauma of World War I. Some historians would say, it hardly recovered
from World War II, aside from the moral high ground.
Europe was able to dominate the world for 500 years previous, with
United States rebuilding Europe after the Second World War with Marshall
Plan of US$13 billion (say $130 bn in current values). European
domination as some would say was an accident of history.
On the other hand, United Kingdom came out of being an Imperial Power
but really wanted to hold on to its status as a world power. After WWII,
Winston Churchill said that “there should be a European Union, a sort
of United States of Europe, but Britain should not be in it”.
EU and Britain are both poles apart because each sees things
differently; they have a different view of politics, economics, law and
life.
Britain is an island, detached from the Continent. Europe is a mainland.
They are as close as neighbours but their mindset is so far apart. The
Sun newspaper iconic headline: “Up Yours Delors”. (Jacques Delors was
European Commissioner 1985-1995).
Britain perhaps didn’t need Europe, so much so on Black Wednesday in
1992 it “crashed out” of the Euro. Britain felt it was ruled by barmy
Brussels bureaucrats and
“po faced EU pen pushers” who liked to ban pounds and ounces ( British weights and measures),bendy bananas and force Britain into “Eurocondoms”.
“po faced EU pen pushers” who liked to ban pounds and ounces ( British weights and measures),bendy bananas and force Britain into “Eurocondoms”.
The signs of acrimony were ahead, even before the row over British beef
during the BSE crisis. Europe is methodical, however, in Britain,
legitimacy and consensual politics is the order of the day. Europe
considers public opinion as “fuddy duddy.” Britain has an “atlantic”
view on economic competition, market outcomes, and freedom to act within
the law. In Europe, “you do what we tell you.”
In Britain, if something does not work you change it. It perhaps can be
stated, that the EU would hardly show flexibility, because that is not
how it works. We have seen and are seeing a clash of mindsets: one
pragmatic, the other dogmatic.
EU could not tolerate Britain at heart?
Time and again, over the years of membership of the EU, Britain always
wanted things done differently. Britain was seen to be a reluctant
partner. We see the clash over the Common Agricultural Policy; the
opting out of the Euro, Britain always wanted concessions, whether on
Gibraltar, Northern Ireland border issues, on a politically United
Europe.
Europe was fed up of giving permanent concessions, as far as they saw
it, to Britain, whilst the other members went along with the majority.
Was the EU Referendum, a blessing in disguise?
It is very difficult for Euro members to, allow, accept or tolerate
London to remain the trading centre for Europe and for the Euro. The
volume of Euro/Dollar trading alone was some $600 billion a day in 2016.
Who would tolerate such a high proportion of financial activity of
their currency taking place abroad? Small wonder why France is waiting
for Brexit, while smiling at Theresa May?
Europe and UK was a marriage of convenience for both. They were not my
words, but the words of Guy Verhofstadt, a diehard Belgian Europhile, of
the European Parliament, who took a swipe at Britain.
But it would be unfair to sum up that the EU wanted to see the back of
UK. In actual reality, they both wanted each other. They looked to each
other to speak with one voice, on most, if not all matters. Britain
could never play ball on these terms? Britain was too shrewd; she only
wanted Europe as a trading partner?
Negotiation v negotiation
1. The EU still believes it will win, why, because it refuses to believe that the UK
will walk out? It has misjudged how UK politics works in the past? We see the shock in the faces of EU negotiators who may finally come to understand that Theresa May is “dead serious” that: no deal is better than a bad deal.”
Much of the tough talk on EU side is because they think Britain is bluffing.
It seems like a dogmatic voice hitting a pragmatic ear.
2. Britain maintains you cannot pick and choose the referee for legal disputes after
Brexit. The jurisdiction of European Courts of Justice may end in respect at least for regulating the movement of nuclear materials or pharmaceuticals across borders.
3. The strangest of all situations is that both the EU and Britain are in negotiation. But, neither of them hears what is said by the other, or so it seems. This is the saddest story. There is denial of seriousness on both sides. This denial may after all cost both sides.
4. EU has misjudged the UK at every turn over centuries. Each side truly believes that other is deluded. There is a very real risk of a no deal outcome. Some say, Britain has prepared for this scenario since joining the Common Market.
will walk out? It has misjudged how UK politics works in the past? We see the shock in the faces of EU negotiators who may finally come to understand that Theresa May is “dead serious” that: no deal is better than a bad deal.”
Much of the tough talk on EU side is because they think Britain is bluffing.
It seems like a dogmatic voice hitting a pragmatic ear.
2. Britain maintains you cannot pick and choose the referee for legal disputes after
Brexit. The jurisdiction of European Courts of Justice may end in respect at least for regulating the movement of nuclear materials or pharmaceuticals across borders.
3. The strangest of all situations is that both the EU and Britain are in negotiation. But, neither of them hears what is said by the other, or so it seems. This is the saddest story. There is denial of seriousness on both sides. This denial may after all cost both sides.
4. EU has misjudged the UK at every turn over centuries. Each side truly believes that other is deluded. There is a very real risk of a no deal outcome. Some say, Britain has prepared for this scenario since joining the Common Market.
A positives outcome
Everyone is talking. A round of talks will take place in Brussels every
month after taking summer recess until October 2017. Perhaps, a
breakthrough may come about by chance.
I consider, Britain to be pragmatic to bring about a positive outcome and the bell will determine the rest. Who knows?