Truss supported Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc as a member of Johnson’s cabinet. (File)
Paris / London / Berlin:
Europe is anticipating the prospect of Liz Truss becoming Britain’s next prime minister with uneasiness and unease: diplomats say that with the war in Ukraine and rampant inflation, the last thing they need is a another Brexit war.
At the top of a run-of-the-mill Conservative Party election to succeed Boris Johnson, Truss has few admirers across the 27-nation European Union to begin with.
As foreign secretary, she supports legislation that unilaterally rips up part of Britain’s divorce agreement with the EU and has promised as prime minister it would pass – a move that will put London on a collision course. touch with Brussels.
Her rhetoric during the leadership campaign, while targeting members of her own party who enjoy some bad reputation about France and the EU in general, won’t help much.
When asked last month if French President Emmanuel Macron was Britain’s “friend or foe”, she replied: “The jury is out.”
A diplomat based in Brussels said: “In the current context, it is difficult for her to think that she can afford to make remarks like this. “We are 200% focused on the war in Ukraine, inflation is widespread. We have no time to waste on this.”
Truss campaign officials said the comments were a “joke” and were unlikely to have a lasting effect on Franco-British relations.
However, a French government source said the comments underscore the distrust between Paris and London, which has been sparked by accusations that Macron has not done enough to stem the flow of migrants crossing the banks. British sea.
Prepare for a tough ride
In Germany, members of the governing coalition were unimpressed by Truss and lamented what they saw as EU-based action to distract from mounting Britain’s domestic problems.
“One must also give the new prime minister a chance,” said Nils Schmid, foreign policy spokesman for the ruling Social Democrats. “But anyone who believes things couldn’t get worse after Johnson was proven wrong. Many of Ms. Truss’ claims are regrettable or false.”
EU diplomats say that although Truss initially opposed Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc before the 2016 Brexit referendum, she wholeheartedly supported the country as a member of Johnson’s cabinet. , and is therefore unlikely to offer a more conciliatory approach to post-Brexit conundrums.
Britain left the bloc on 31 January 2020, but has since been mired in a dispute over the rules it agreed to on trade deals for the province of Northern Ireland.
Under the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit deal, the province remains the EU’s single market for goods and customs union, maintaining an open border with EU member Ireland.
Britain says the agreement to set a customs border in the Irish Sea is unworkable and the bill currently being passed by parliament would circumvent it.
The EU has initiated legal proceedings in violation of what the EU maintains is a binding treaty.
However, Truss is adamant about the bill and – according to some reports – could trigger the so-called “Article 16” emergency provision to take unilateral action against Northern Ireland in the days of taking office next week.
That would increase tensions with the EU’s executive body, the European Commission, and could eventually lead to a trade war, with the EU imposing tariffs on British goods.
“The commission will be on the front lines and will have a very resolute response,” the Brussels-based diplomat said. “Europeans are all on the same firm line.”
A member of Truss’ campaign team said she was hopeful that the change of government would bring about a reset with Europe, but while she wanted a negotiated solution to the Northern Ireland stalemate , then the use of “Article 16” is an option.
“This won’t be the default choice, but we won’t shy away from making tough decisions,” the official said.
A veteran ambassador for Brussels said Europeans are bracing for a tough ride: “It’s going to be rock and roll,” he said.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is automatically generated from the syndication feed.)
