Theresa May strengthens her authority

Prime Minister Theresa May and members of her cabinet at Checkers County in Aylesbury. (Image: Joel Rouse / Getty Images)

No Minister got angry and Theresa May forced all cabinet members to join a Brexit common line. The prime minister can therefore register Friday's review as a bitterly needed success. With this result is almost officially to certainty: Great Britain aspires to a sweet Brexit, which takes into account mainly the interests of the economy. If, in the coming days, the resignation of an insubordinate member of the government does not materialize, the reaction of supporters of a clean break with the EU under the leadership of conservative deputies of the lower house is now examined. However, the decisive factor will be how Brussels will mark this catalog of proposals

A lot of freedom of interpretation

May face the dilemma of not crossing its often declared "red lines" and making decisions more and more pressing To signal flexibility in negotiations with the EU to overcome the dominant blockade. Now she can point out that Britain officially and as promised will abandon the single market and the customs union with the EU, while proposing new regulations that will bind the country both to avoid trade barriers harmful.

Much of what has been agreed in Checkers is based on creative semantics, leaving plenty of room for interpretation. This makes it difficult to understand for ordinary people in the UK who were used to long and simple slogans regarding Brexit. To name just a few key points: how exactly should the very complex future customs regime work in practice? Will this really be enough to render an internal boundary useless? What should apply to the service sector? And what impact on immigration should have the "Framework for Mobility", which should replace the free movement of people in the future?

Waiting for the reaction of Brussels

After all, the first reaction of chief negotiator Michel Barnier was not too dismissive out. However, it is clear that the EU is not going to bother internal market rules to make a favor in the UK. After all, there are only two options for Brussels: membership in the EEA, including free movement of people, or a simple free trade agreement – but not an agreement made tailor made according to the wishes of Great Britain. That's exactly what the London government has formulated, in line with the EU's call for detailed proposals to be put on the table. How many of them will find themselves one day in the deal to win, is of course another matter. Without difficult negotiations, there will be no sweet Brexit, a failure is still not ruled out. Only in hindsight will it be possible to determine whether the Checkers ministerial retreat actually triggered a turning point in the Brexit negotiations.