The EU should think twice before rejecting Boris Johnson’s proposal Wolfgang Münchau

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The member states of the EU have a common negotiating position on Brexit, but they have different ulterior motives. There is one group, led by Germany, whose priority is to avoid a no-deal Brexit in order to minimise disruption to industrial supply chains. Another group, led by France, seeks to stop the UK from exploiting the opportunities for regulatory arbitrage. The French fear that a Singapore on Thames might undercut EU standards on social policy and the environment. Then there is a third group that wants the UK to reverse Brexit altogether, as a symbol of the fightback against the rising global tide of populism. What all three have in common is a lack of interest in agreeing to engage with UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s proposals for the withdrawal deal. They are reassured that the Brexit extension bill passed by the House of Commons has removed the threat of an immediate no-deal Brexit. Legal documents submitted to a Scottish court state that Mr Johnson intends to comply with the requirements of the Benn Act and seek a Brexit delay if he cannot secure a deal.
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