Theresa May swears the new course on Brexit

Prime Minister Theresa May can claim agreement with her cabinet as a success. (Photo: Simon Dawson / Reuters)

The British cabinet convened a retreat on Friday at Checkers, the prime minister's country house, to iron out the contradictions in Britain's position in the Brexit negotiations. After several hours of negotiations, Prime Minister Theresa May proclaimed: "The Council of Ministers agreed today on in-depth discussions on a common position for future negotiations with the European Union. 39; EU ". A detailed document will be published next week

Autonomous Tracing

With their proposals that the month of May has now aligned their previously disunited government, the London government is clearly bidding farewell to a difficult course on Brexit. Nevertheless, the plan in Brussels should be greeted with skepticism. The day before, the most important details were leaked: it was targeting a Brexit outside the customs union, the internal market and the EU's jurisdiction, the prime minister said. In fact, she suggests a much more relaxed version of the EU's release. According to the plan, the British would remain in the EU's single market for goods (but not for services) and, for agricultural products, their own valuation standards would be the same as for Brussels. According to him, London would not depart from the EU standard in terms of standards such as social and environmental policy.

The goal triggered a storm of indignation in the camp of Brexit supporters, who plead in principle. According to the backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg, Britain would become a vassal state of Brussels. Foreign Minister Boris Johnson held a special meeting with six other Eurosceptic ministers, but they do not have a majority in cabinet. Contrary to what had been feared previously, it came during the review in Checkers not to withdraw from the followers of a hard Brexit. Even Johnson apparently supported the agreement on the new negotiating positions with Brussels.

The presentation, which the Prime Minister presented to Cabinet with his Brexit advisor, Oliver Robbins, openly identifies some disadvantages. So it is said that London, when it will be "relevant", will follow EU jurisprudence. Nor will it be able to meet the demands of the agricultural sector, which would allow the United States to conclude a free trade agreement (ie, for example, the import of American beef treated with hormones). But May believes that she has found the key to Ireland's internal border. To this end, it is putting in place a new variant of future customs cooperation with the EU. UK customs officials are expected to apply full EU tariffs for goods in transit destined for the EU, but lower duties on imports into the UK, as the case may be. Technical solutions, which do not yet exist, should prevent smugglers from opening their doors

Not really unacceptable for Brussels

For the EU, the proposals are unacceptable, at least not in the form described. For Brussels, there is only one "Norway" solution, namely British accession to the EEA, or a free trade agreement that can be enriched by bilateral treaties for example in the field of justice and security. In May's plan, remarks on the free movement of people are only vague. Brexit supporters are waiting for the Prime Minister to cancel the flag at a later date. The auditors' retreat meant not only agreeing on the proposals of May, but also on what to do if they failed in the negotiations with the EU. A withdrawal from the EU without an agreement does not exclude London.