On Arte: “Where is Boris Johnson going?”
As the date of the Brexit approaches, British policy and Boris Johnson’s strategy seem increasingly uncertain. After losing several battles to the Westminster Parliament, what could the British Prime Minister do next?
Yves Bertoncini’s debate with Anne-Elizabeth Moutet, journalist, and Jeremy Stubbs, President of the British Conservatives in France, on ARTE’s “28 minutes” programme on 10 September 2019[13’10 to 37’30].
What does Boris Johnson want?
According to the President of the European Movement – France, what Boris Johnson does not want is “for the United Kingdom to remain in the customs union and in the single market forever. What Theresa May has accepted is a safety net that provides that if no solution is found, not only Northern Ireland, but also the rest of the United Kingdom will remain in the customs union. Boris Johnson can accept the safety net for Northern Ireland, but not for the United Kingdom. This would allow him to say that he has changed his position compared to Theresa May’s, and to keep his face. Europe would be open to it”. For Yves Bertoncini, the question remains open: “does he want to reach an agreement, or is he just an upstart who wants to go out without agreement?”
What should Michel Barnier do between now and October 17?
Yves Bertoncini: “He must continue to be phlegmatic and look at how on the negotiating table – with a British conceptual breakthrough – we can find a way forward.” The President of the European Movement – France adds: “We must be attentive to the story that can be told, to the storytelling. Boris Johnson needs to say that the agreement he has reached is the greatest victory since Trafalgar. Michel Barnier must have, and he has, the intelligence to let Boris say that what he has negotiated is a diplomatic victory for the United Kingdom, that it is quite different from what Theresa May’s “fool” had negotiated. We must let him return home victorious.”
Is the United Kingdom facing a crisis of representativeness?
Yves Bertoncini analyses: “Boris Johnson’s strategy is to tell a story, to say that Great Britain has seen worse. What he says to the people is, ‘The elected officials do not serve you, but I am here, beyond all powers, of Parliament, of Justice, to give you satisfaction’. This is a mystification for two reasons.” The President of the European Movement France explains: “First of all, the people have never asked to go out with a bang and without agreement. Then one of the brexiters’ slogans was to allow the Westminster Parliament to regain control – and now Boris Johnson is suspending him…”
Yves Bertoncini, do you believe in the incredible scenario of a new referendum after the Brexit?
The President of the European Movement France replied: “I never believed in the second referendum with immediate effect. But on the other hand, in two or three years’ time, when a new partnership has been established, it would make sense to have it evaluated by the people, asking them what they think of this new relationship.”