Brexit was one of the most complicated negotiations the EU has faced and, crucially, it was an emotional blow to the community club, which saw one of its founding members let go. Years after this trauma, the 27 are moving forward and even seeing the United Kingdom in a position of strength (as is the case with Spain in the negotiations on the status of Gibraltar). And it was the new British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, who inaugurated the new relationship with the EU during a trip to Brussels during which he met the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; the President of the European Council, Charles Michel; and that of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.
A statement of intent on a “unique” relationship which resulted in a joint declaration in which the UK and EU commit to promoting “enhanced cooperation”, which will include a further meeting with von der Leyen in the autumn and the holding of a first EU-UK summit in early 2025. New times therefore for relations in which the strengthening of security and irregular migration are some of the issues they wish to explore in greater depth. Starmer mentioned it first in his initial intervention, then the issue appears in the joint statement.
“The leaders agreed that the UK and the European Union would continue to work closely to tackle wider global challenges, such as economic hardship, geopolitical competition, irregular immigration, climate change and prices. energy, which pose fundamental challenges to values. “shared by the United Kingdom and the European Union and constitute the strategic driver for closer cooperation,” the text states.
Starmer’s trip, which is the first official visit by a British prime minister to Brussels since 2020, was aimed at negotiating new deals with the EU that would mitigate the damage from Brexit without overly irritating the minority most supportive of isolation British. The Labor Party assured that the British public was looking for “sensible” and “pragmatic” leadership in its relations with its closest neighbors.
Among the issues he wants to resolve are study and work visas for those under 30, after the previous Conservative government rejected the European Commission’s proposal. The negotiation aims for a new mechanism allowing young Europeans to live for a limited time in the UK to learn English or work, and for Britons to do the same in the EU country of their choice.
As part of the ‘reset’ of relations, as defined by the Labor Party when it took office as Prime Minister, the possibility of reaching an agreement on irregular immigration is also on the table at a moment when the EU takes a step towards the hardest. positions and the Briton has also pointed in this direction by going so far as to say that he wants to learn from the management of immigration from the far right Giorgia Meloni because he is “pragmatic”.
The statement also includes an allusion to the crisis in the Middle East in which they condemn Iran’s “atrocious” attack on Israel and emphasize “Israel’s right to defend itself in the face of unacceptable aggression”, without mentioning the ground offensive by Benjamin Netanyahu’s army. .in Lebanon. “They reiterated the need to coordinate the diplomatic response to the situation in the Middle East and called on all parties to exercise restraint and end the bloodshed. An immediate ceasefire is necessary in Lebanon and Gaza to create space for political solutions, the leaders stressed,” he added.
