“It is fair, it is a balanced deal and it is the right and responsible thing to do”, says the President of the European Commission.
Whether writing, speaking or negotiating, he puts on a performance which the spectators enjoy all the more because it horrifies the guardians of convention.
The EU and UK negotiators have been mandated to “go the extra mile” to see if a Brexit deal can be found, she says, after a phone call with Johnson.
“A firm decision should be taken about the future of the talks by Sunday.” There is no joint statement.
Creating temporary arrangements around fishing and other areas may not be ideal, but it is a better option than the prospect of no deal.
The EU is caught between making more effective decisions and compromising its smaller members’ interests.
Deals with the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand will prepare the country for future EU-related bumps in the road.
Specific governance arrangements can be established in individual areas, and an agreement should sit outside the overarching institutional framework.
Tensions – political, economic and otherwise – have been exacerbated in the eurozone, as it tries to navigate the pandemic.
One of the most dangerous sequences in politics goes like this. “Something must be done. Here’s something. Let’s do it.”
Nation states can act decisively when they wish to do so: the EU seems paralysed.
Above all, we need to focus on the strategic picture. Throughout the world democracy, human rights and the rule of law are under pressure.