‘B’ from Britain, ‘BREXIT’ and ‘Backstop’

by Laura Lai/ Jan. 16^th, 2019/ Comment

The BREXIT Withdrawal Agreement was approved at the European Summit on December 5^th, 2018. Since its agreement Brussels seemed fond of this agreement, underlining on every occasion that this is the only deal and that there is no room for further negotiations, but for some clarifications. And ever since is in the United Kingdom (UK) even more controversy.

            The main topic of controversy was referring to the agreed terms on the only land border that the UK will have with the European Union (EU): the border between the Northern Ireland (which is part of the UK) and Ireland (which is a EU member state). It is shortly referred as ‘backstop’, which may be a new word in the English political dictionary.

            It implies a temporary custom union between the UK and the EU until a trade agreement is reached between the two. What’s the controversy about? Until a trade agreement is reached (if ever), the UK stays in the custom union and may never leave the European Union, because at this point the EU must agree whether or not it allows the UK to leave. And this would be in contradiction with the UK referendum on BREXIT, from June 23^rd, 2016.

Following the BREXIT Withdrawal Agreement and given the doubts on the implications that the backstop may have and the result of the referendum, the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, constantly demanded from Brussels that these clarifications to take the form of a legally binding document, as a legal guarantee that Brussels will not use the terms of the backstop indefinitely, as it may in these terms of the agreement, and that the UK will gain back the control over its borders, laws and money.

            All this time, Brussels ignored this demand of Theresa May, putting both sides, of Leave and Remain, in a constantly rising tension. However, on the morning when the Withdrawal Agreement is decisively discussed by London, sends Brussels two letters. One may say that it was too little too late, because in the evening of the same day (January 15^th, 2019) there were 202 eyes of the parliamentarians who looked to the right and 432 noses of the parliamentarians to the left: The Withdrawal Agreement is rejected. And to continue in the same metaphorical way, without taking any side, the mouth of Brussels asks now what London wants…. . Now you’re asking?! Where were your hears so far?