Michel Barnier - My Secret Brexit Diary

1 Cover

2 Praise for My Secret Brexit Diary Praise for My Secret Brexit Diary ‘If the treaties are the legal texts of the Brexit talks then this is the human version, revealing a Michel Barnier who is much warmer and far less diplomatic than his public persona. It’s a masterclass in how the EU operates, and a rare glimpse into the tensions on their side.’ – Adam Fleming, Chief Political Correspondent, BBC News ‘For historians writing about the UK’s long and painful exit from the European Union, Michel Barnier’s account is essential reading. For anyone interested in Brexit, it offers a valuable guide to the EU’s negotiating strategy and the people who shaped it.’ – Jennifer Rankin, Brussels Correspondent, The Guardian ‘This is a political thriller: 500 pages of twists and turns, advances and setbacks, taking place behind the scenes in an altogether extraordinary negotiation.’ – Nicolas Demorand, France Inter ‘The former European chief negotiator has delivered his Brexit novel: a unique experience of four and a half years recounted day by day, in the theatre of the powerful with its noble aims and petty squabbles, its backtracking and its bluffs, its laughter and its tears, including very personal ones. And it’s absolutely riveting.’ – Mathieu Laine, Les Échos ‘How did the European Union deal with the challenge of losing a leading member state? In this unique insider’s account, the EU’s chief negotiator reflects on the Brexit process, how it unfolded and how he managed the EU’s approach to the talks. Required reading for everyone interested in figuring out what happened and why.’ – Anand Menon, King’s College, London ‘This book is required reading for anyone seriously interested in the exhausting saga of the Brexit negotiations, and it is good to have an English edition of what is undoubtedly an important historical document.’ – Robert Tombs, University of Cambridge

3 Title Page MY SECRET BREXIT DIARY A Glorious Illusion Michel Barnier Translated by Robin Mackay polity

4 Copyright Page Copyright Page Originally published in French as La Grande Illusion. Journal secret du Brexit (2016–2020) © Éditions GALLIMARD, Paris, 2021 This English edition © Polity Press, 2021 Illustration 12 source: Ingram Pinn, 2018, ‘Taking Back Control’, Financial Times / FT.com . 27 July 2018. Used under licence from the Financial Times . All Rights Reserved. Polity Press 65 Bridge Street Cambridge CB2 1UR, UK Polity Press 101 Station Landing Suite 300 Medford, MA 02155, USA All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-5086-9 (hardback) A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Control Number: 2021943873 by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NL The publisher has used its best endeavours to ensure that the URLs for external websites referred to in this book are correct and active at the time of going to press. However, the publisher has no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee that a site will remain live or that the content is or will remain appropriate. Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been overlooked the publisher will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent reprint or edition. For further information on Polity, visit our website: politybooks.com

5 Dedication Dedication To Oriana and Theodore, both born during this long negotiation, who kindly shared their grandfather with the British

6 Epigraph Epigraph Beat at this gate that let thy folly in, And thy dear judgement out! Shakespeare, King Lear

7 Quote Quote La Grande Illusion is a wonderful film by Jean Renoir, released in 1937. It is also the title of an essay by Norman Angell ( The Great Illusion: A Study of the Relation of Military Power in Nations to their Economic and Social Advantage ), published in 1910, in which the English author argued that, given the economic and financial bonds uniting the European nations with one another, war had become an impossibility. Although this prediction turned out to be wrong, in his book Angell clearly shows that war is a process of mutual depletion in which there is no winner.

8 List of Illustrations

9 The Main Players For the UK For the EU

10 A Warning Notes

11 Origins of the Referendum Notes

12 Diary

13 2016 Friday, 24 June 2016: A rude awakening Sunday, 26 June 2016: Three British divides Thursday, 7 July 2016: On the plane with Jean-Claude Juncker Wednesday, 13 July 2016: Enter Theresa May Wednesday, 27 July 2016: Provocation? Monday, 8 August 2016: First names Wednesday, 31 August 2016: Trio Sunday, 2 October 2016: Birmingham – Theresa May in the spotlight Monday, 3 October 2016: Getting started Tuesday, 4 October 2016: The Hague Wednesday, 5 October 2016: Bucharest Thursday, 6 October 2016: ‘Our enemy is the Commission’ Friday, 7 October 2016: Notre Europe Saturday, 8 October 2016: Theresa May among her own Monday, 10 October 2016: Warsaw Monday, 17 October 2016: The financial settlement Wednesday, 19 October 2016: Ljubljana Wednesday, 26 October 2016: Zagreb Friday, 11 November 2016: Focus on strategy Monday, 21 November 2016: Raising a glass of Prosecco to Boris Wednesday, 30 November 2016: Facing the press Thursday, 22 December 2016: Grounded planes? Notes

14 2017 Tuesday, 17 January 2017: Lancaster House – Theresa May shows her hand Thursday, 19 January 2017: Paris, National Assembly Tuesday, 24 January 2017: UK Parliament Thursday, 2 February 2017: White Paper Wednesday, 22 March 2017: European Committee of the Regions Wednesday, 29 March 2017: Notification Friday, 31 March 2017: Sadness and regret Tuesday, 4 April 2017: European Parliament resolution Wednesday, 5 April 2017: Farage in his element… Tuesday, 11 April 2017: Sherpas Wednesday, 12 April 2017: Tensions over Gibraltar Tuesday, 18 April 2017: Chef’s surprise... Wednesday, 26 April 2017: Dinner in London Saturday, 29 April 2017: Green light from the twenty-seven on the negotiation framework Sunday, 30 April 2017: Leaks Wednesday, 3 May 2017: Guidelines approved Friday, 5 May 2017: Florence, Palazzo Vecchio Sunday, 7 May 2017: A new President of the Republic Thursday, 11 May 2017: Dublin to Dundalk Monday, 22 May 2017: Official mandate Wednesday, 24 May 2017: Battle of the flags Monday, 29 May 2017: Malta Tuesday, 30 May 2017: 759 agreements… Sunday, 11 June 2017: A wager lost… Monday, 12 June 2017: Talks on the talks Sunday, 18 June 2017: A breath of fresh air Monday, 19 June 2017: The first session – at last! Thursday, 22 June 2017: After-dinner conversation Friday, 23 June 2017: Europe is back Tuesday, 27 June 2017: David Davis calling Saturday, 1 July 2017: Tribute to Helmut Kohl Monday, 3 July 2017: Fishing in troubled waters Wednesday, 5 July 2017: Tribute to Simone Veil Thursday, 6 July 2017: Zeebrugge