Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Conservative Party chaos fails to make a mark in Brussels
It seems to me that in the two years or so since the referendum result condemned us to the disastrous chaos that masquerades as a Brexit process the only group that has come out of it with any dignity is the European Commission.
They were at it again yesterday, demonstrating the sort of sangfroid that has marked their approach to the negotiations in the face of the shit-storm that is the UK Government. As Theresa May once more sought to rebuild her cabinet, having lost six cabinet members since June 2017, the Commission's spokesperson, metaphorically at least, shrugged his shoulders, and invited us to get on with the task at hand.
As the Independent reports, when asked whether Mr Davis’s resignation is a problem for the EU, Margaritis Schinas, the Commission’s chief spokesperson replied: “Not for us,” adding: “We are here to work”:
But he added: “I think it matters a lot for the UK side because this is the person that would be the counterpart to our chief negotiator, and I think it matters a lot.
“What matters for us is the negotiating framework that our 27 member states have set for us and with which we are complying fully.”
Asked whether the Commission was concerned with the changes at the top, he said: “It is very clear that our position has always been very cool.
“We avoided positioning the Commission in terms of psychological elements: concern, enthusiasm, disappoint and so on. We are here to do a job – the time scale is tight, everyone knows this.”
He added: “Experience shows that the commitment at the political level facilitates the process. But then again I’m not here to indicate a preference.”
If only the UK Government had been as professional in their approach to these negotiations.
They were at it again yesterday, demonstrating the sort of sangfroid that has marked their approach to the negotiations in the face of the shit-storm that is the UK Government. As Theresa May once more sought to rebuild her cabinet, having lost six cabinet members since June 2017, the Commission's spokesperson, metaphorically at least, shrugged his shoulders, and invited us to get on with the task at hand.
As the Independent reports, when asked whether Mr Davis’s resignation is a problem for the EU, Margaritis Schinas, the Commission’s chief spokesperson replied: “Not for us,” adding: “We are here to work”:
But he added: “I think it matters a lot for the UK side because this is the person that would be the counterpart to our chief negotiator, and I think it matters a lot.
“What matters for us is the negotiating framework that our 27 member states have set for us and with which we are complying fully.”
Asked whether the Commission was concerned with the changes at the top, he said: “It is very clear that our position has always been very cool.
“We avoided positioning the Commission in terms of psychological elements: concern, enthusiasm, disappoint and so on. We are here to do a job – the time scale is tight, everyone knows this.”
He added: “Experience shows that the commitment at the political level facilitates the process. But then again I’m not here to indicate a preference.”
If only the UK Government had been as professional in their approach to these negotiations.
