Brussels – Work is underway in London and Brussels to reinforce collaboration between the EU and the UK in the post-Brexit era, following the historic changing of the guard in the British government between the Conservatives and Labour. Given the deteriorating international environment, security mainly dominates the dialogue’s agenda. And, at least judging from a recent poll, both British and European citizens agree on the need to mend fences.
Early this afternoon (Dec. 12), the President of the European Council, António Costa, met in Downing Street with Her Majesty’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to jointly outline some priorities around which to pivot cooperation between the two sides of the Channel. According to the official readout of the meeting, the two agreed on “the vital importance of closer cooperation between like-minded partners at a time of increasing instability for the world.”
Translated: with the war in Ukraine now festering, the escalation in the Middle East showing no sign of abating, and escalating tensions in the post-Soviet space—all just over a month before Donald Trump is officially sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, scheduled for Jan. 20—European and British chancelleries are not sleeping soundly.
As an important sign of openness on the European side, Costa invited Sir Starmer to participate in the informal summit of the leaders of the Twenty-Seven to be held Feb. 3 in Brussels. The British prime minister “was pleased to accept the invitation and looked forward to discussing greater strategic cooperation,” the statement said, “particularly on defence matters.” In addition to that meeting, last October, the EU and UK leaders had planned a first EU-UK summit for early 2025, which is to be the first in a series of high-level meetings to be held regularly.
Great first meeting at Downing Street with PM @Keir_Starmer. Discussed ways to strengthen the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Very glad that the PM accepted my invitation to join us in a session of the informal meeting of EU leaders on 3 February. pic.twitter.com/A6QsjX48Iz
– António Costa (@eucopresident) ###§##
With regard to the delicate geopolitical environment, the two reaffirmed “their unwavering commitment to provide continued political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people for as long as necessary and with the required intensity,” and, with specific reference to the latest dramatic developments in Syria, agreed on “the importance of ensuring a peaceful transition to long-term political stability after the fall of the brutal regime” of Bashar al-Assad.
Costa and Starmer also reaffirmed the commitment of both sides “to the full and faithful implementation” of the agreements laboriously concluded in the aftermath of Brexit and governing bilateral relations between Brussels and London, collectively known under the title of the Withdrawal Agreement, of which the so-called Windsor Framework (i.e., the Protocol on Northern Ireland) and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement are part.
After all, the rapprochement between the two sides of the Channel seems to be meeting the muted sensitivities of Her Majesty’s citizens, as evidenced by a survey published today by the European Council on Foreign Relations, a pan-European think tank specializing in research on foreign policy issues. According to the survey, the British public is not persuaded to follow the newly elected Trump on several key international issues, from Ukraine to China, via the Middle East chessboard.
In both the UK and the EU, respondents believe that relations between the two sides “should become closer”—a statement valid for 55 per cent of Britons, 45 per cent of Germans, and 41 per cent of Italians, among others. In all the countries surveyed (France, Spain, and Poland, in addition to those mentioned), the percentage of those who would prefer a milder relationship than the current one does not exceed 11 per cent.
The British “care more about Europe than America, not only for their economic future and migration but also for their security.” At the same time, Europeans generally believe that “offering the UK better access to the single market is a price worth paying for a closer security partnership.”
The study points out that across the Channel, there exists a wider “political space” than one might think among both the pro-Brexit electorate and the Remainers. For Starmer’s Labour executive, there is “a clear opportunity to win back pro-European voters without alienating” the so-called “red wall” represented by the working-class sections of the population.
As for the specific issues of cooperation between London and Brussels, the majority of British respondents believe that closer cooperation between the United Kingdom and the European Union would benefit the former in terms of managing migration flows (58 per cent) and strengthening national security (53 per cent).
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
