Being undiplomatic

In what is likely to be a busy weekend, for a change, in Brexit, I thought I would tap this post out as we are off out tonight, so I won't get a chance and tomorrow there is going to be more shit to write about.

I wrote the other day, was it yesterday, about how Van de Leyen was elected, and works to the same mandate and Barnier. So, talking with the President means she is only going to restate the same position. It seems there was hope that Johnson would arrive bearing concessions, but he came bearing bluster.

He started off by rubbinhsin Barnier and unable to get on with him, what with him being French and they are hard to like, expecting the German Van der Leyen to agree.

She did not.

And he continued the meal in much the same manner, so with hom not changing positions,a nd the EU certainly not, what could Friday bring?

Well, turn out the latest wheeze was to bypass Barnier, Van der Leyen and try to talk direct with the leaders of France and Germany in a Zoom meeting on Monday.

This was refused and the news leaked.

Brexiteers have reacted with horror that this cack-handed attempt by the PM was shown such short shrift and the EU was being rude, but it shows a most basic understanding inside Number 10 on how the EU works, that Barnier and Van der Leyen are elected/appointed by the EU Commission, which has 27 equal members, used to be 298, but you now. So no one or two countries have any more sway over Brexit, or anything, than any other.

So, bypassing Barnier and Van der Leyen is seen as either ruse or stupid, and a basic misunderstanding.

After 47 years or membership and four and a half years negotiationg, and this is what we have representing us?

Good grief.