The new Labor Government that has been installed in Downing Street constantly repeats that it wants to “reset” the relationship with Brussels, notably deteriorated after years of bitter disputes with the British conservatives over Brexit. The EU has expressed its desire to pick up that gauntlet, although many of its member countries want London to clarify more how far it is willing to go in its intention to open a new stage.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the new British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, met this Wednesday in Brussels to talk about how to strengthen that bond, but without touching the foundations marked by the Brexit divorce and the tough negotiations that were required to carry out that breakup in an agreed way.
Labor Starmer’s visit is the first by a British head of government to the community capital since 2019. London and Brussels are aligned on global issues at a geopolitical time of extreme instability, but differ on priorities for cooperating on other issues.
The EU wants to sign a youth mobility agreement with London that would mean, despite its many nuances and limitations, returning in part to the free movement of people, something to which the British Government is very reluctant. “If we had a mechanism that allowed young British citizens to reside for a year in one of the 27 countries of the Union, to be able to study and pay for their studies while they are there, what would be wrong?” he suggested a few days ago. the EU ambassador to the United Kingdom, Pedro Serrano, in Times Radio.
Starmer insists on rejecting any youth mobility plan that could be interpreted by British Eurosceptics as a return to the freedom of movement enshrined in the EU. The Union wants to open negotiations with London on a plan that facilitates study and work exchanges for people between 18 and 30 on both sides of the English Channel. But even the British Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, who once ardently fought against Brexit, has now come out firmly against any opening that could inflate immigration figures in the United Kingdom.
A future agreement regarding the possibility of young people on both sides of the English Channel once again being able to move freely, even if only temporarily and in a limited way, has become a test of nine to demonstrate the true will of the new Government. British Labor Party to improve the relationship. “There is a general feeling that, when you get down to it, the Labor Party doesn’t know what it wants or isn’t willing to do anything. “Many people want to see if there is any meat inside the sandwich,” said Anand Menon, the director of the organization. UK in a Changing Europe (The United Kingdom in a changing Europe), which maintains the European impulse on British soil.
Defense cooperation
Starmer seeks above all cooperation with Brussels on defense matters. The Community Executive and the United Kingdom agreed this Wednesday to jointly define those areas in which cooperation is beneficial and hold a summit at the beginning of next year.
The meeting in Brussels with Von der Leyen, and later with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, and with the president of the European Chamber, Roberta Metsola, marks a substantial change of tone between the EU and the United Kingdom. “We have a set of solid agreements in place. “We should explore the scope for greater cooperation while we focus on the full and faithful implementation of the withdrawal agreement,” Von der Leyen told the British before the meeting in a public appearance.
“British people want a return to pragmatic and sensible leadership in dealing with our closest issues, so that Brexit works and so that their interests are met and ways are found to boost economic growth, strengthen our security and address shared challenges such as irregular migration and climate change,” Starmer noted.
Both have agreed to meet again this fall.
In the community capital they believe that London is not very clear about its objective to strengthen this link with the EU, beyond what is established in the agreements already signed, and several member states have warned of what they consider an “overly interested selection” of policies. to be developed by Starmer. They believe that London does not have a plan, something that would be resolved with what was agreed this Wednesday by Starmer and Von der Leyen to put in black and white the common lines and priorities to work on.
In the community club, in any case, they see Starmer’s willingness to execute this “restart” of relations between both blocks. The prime minister has also traveled to Berlin, Rome, Dublin and Paris since his inauguration to lay the foundations for that bond rethought after the traumatic Brexit divorce.
