Why Boris Johnson's Bluster Hasn't Flustered the EU
The 27-nation bloc has learned how to manage Britain's constant brinkmanship. Clinching a final exit agreement is another question.
Boris Johnson just can’t rock the EU’s boat.
Photographer: TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images
If Boris Johnson is the diplomatic equivalent of a kid playing with matches, the European Union has barely risen to the level of an exasperated parent. A British threat to backtrack on terms agreed over the status of Northern Ireland, as well as the prime minister’s threat to walk away from trade talks with the 27-country bloc, have mostly received a round of raised eyebrows in Brussels.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned Johnson against such a move. Her counterpart at the European Council, Charles Michel, joked that Europe was keeping a “British stiff upper lip.” France’s Emmanuel Macron didn’t mention the issue in a tweet summarizing a phone call with Johnson. Only in the European Parliament was retaliation proposed, with Green member Philippe Lamberts saying there was “no point” in keeping negotiations going if Johnson was serious.