The EU is poorer by one member state: Great Britain left the European Union punctually at midnight in Central Europe. Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to make Brexit an “incredible success”.
No fireworks, no pomp, no speeches: Great Britain left the European Union punctually at midnight. The official celebrations for the historical moment were kept extremely slim. Only a projection of Big Ben heralded the British farewell – the clock tower of Parliament in London is currently being restored.
Several hundred Brexit supporters celebrated in front of Parliament, including the head of the Brexit Party, Nigel Farage. Brexit MEPs had already launched their “Brexodus” from Brussels on Friday morning: “Today is the day that Britain will be free after more than 40 years,” said MEP Ann Widdecombe.
Johnson promises golden times
Shortly before Britain’s official exit from the EU, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised his citizens a fresh start. “For many, this is an amazing moment of hope that they thought would never come,” he said in the video message speech. Others felt uncertainty and loss at the exit from the EU – and then there was a part of society, “perhaps the largest,” who worried that the struggle associated with Brexit would never end. “I can understand all of these sentiments,” said Johnson – his job now is to unite and advance the country.
The Brexit is not an end, but a start: “This is the moment when morning breaks and the curtain rises for a new act of our national play,” he said. “It is a potential moment for real national renewal and change.”
Johnson promised better crime prevention, improvements in education and health systems, and infrastructure expansion. “In our diplomacy, our fight against climate change, the campaigns for human rights and education for girls and women or free trade, we will rediscover muscles that we have not used for decades.” This is “the power of independent thinking and acting”.
“Peaceful cooperation” with the EU
In his speech, the British prime minister also spoke about the future relationship with the European Union: Brexit should herald “a new era of peaceful cooperation between the EU and an energetic Great Britain”.
Johnson announced in a further speech on Monday that he would present his negotiation goals for the upcoming talks on the future relationship with the EU. According to a Daily Telegraph report, it aims to free Britain from EU rules – even if it has to accept trade barriers such as tariffs.
However, according to a government spokesman, Johnson wants to negotiate a free trade agreement with the EU along the lines of Canada – he had presented such plans at a special cabinet meeting on Friday.
Flag Diplomacy in Brussels
The flag of the United Kingdom was raised several hours before Brexit from the EU Council building and the European Parliament seats in Brussels and Strasbourg – the “British Mission in Brussels”, as the previous representative of London called itself, took the EU flag , The European flag was hoisted at the Scottish government’s headquarters in Brussels.
– ,
