Unlocked with Michel Barnier: The EU is no longer what you left

Michel Barnier was the Head of the European Commission’s Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2021, and the European Union’s chief negotiator during the Brexit negotiations.
Watch our Director, Anand Menon, in conversation with Michel Barnier as he discusses his new book ‘My Secret Brexit Diary: A Glorious Illusion’, which provides a behind-the-scenes look at the negotiations which “oscillated between consensus and disagreement, transparency and lies.”
This event launches our new “Unlocked” in conversation series.

[@trevellyanblack4101]

I always felt a strong reason to be in the EU is that the British people needed protection from our own government. Since we left, this has spilled over into open corruption with nobody holding them to account.

[@i-am-vonnegut]

Agreed 100%..i said it was enough of a creditable protection from our own government. Some baby boomer colleagues replied but yes but now they'll have no one to hide behind. And other comments along the lines of. 3 years later an utter mess. A governing party who are literally eating their own. Lies like never before. And environmental, human, animal and workers rights being thrown with the prospect of those immoral slugs actually thinking they have some merit in rewriting our protections. Except those protections will be for business not us. I can't help feeling that one day soon even the average Sun or Express reader will wake up and find they've talked themselves out of a right to paid holiday entitlement etc.

[@SF-gn6uw]

Muppet

[@adamabele785]

The people of the UK must fix the government themselves. The EU is not somebody who can interfere with domestic affairs or political decisions taken by the voters. If people want something different, they need to elect different parties or the parties need to change. I do not understand why people put up with the bs all the time and vote for the same bull crap over and over and then complain that things get worse and worse and never change.

[@jounik]

@@adamabele785 The EU membership was the one thing holding Tories back from what they wanted to do to the UK. For three years and zero elections it hasn't been there to do that and we can all see the result.

[@adamabele785]

@@jounik Yes, the Tories had the message that they want to get rid of "EU red tape". Most people have no idea what they are talking about, can not even mention one of the laws that they find bothersome. But the voters agreed to that message with a majority. But for the first time people start to realize what it really means. If the voters want to have all those things back, they need to fight for it and change their voting habits. That is not something that the EU can do for them. Be careful what you wish for, because one day you might get it. The UK voters must make up their minds, not the EU.

[@unfixablegop]

Barnier is primarily a diplomat, not primarily a truth talker. He's not going to say "yes, the UK was a permanent pain in the ass, and the project is doing better now that they're out".

[@danielcep1879]

C'est rigolo parce que c'est exactement ce qu'il pense en cherchant ses mots en anglais...Perdant, perdant, tout le monde est content!!

[@SnabbKassa]

And now they have new pains in the ass like Poland.

[@mikeg2939]

In what way was the UK a permanent pain in the ass?

[@unfixablegop]

@@mikeg2939 They were only about stopping further European integration and getting rebates for themselves.

[@grigturcescu6190]

@@mikeg2939 among the members, UK had the most advantages, more than Germany which is the main fund provider (gave most money). And always asking for exceptions and always asking for something in return to agree to vote (EU requires unanimity, not just majority). Very, very strong position and good negotiating skills inside EU. But of course, people were not aware of this. It was a very complex relationship with huge ramification all reduced to a simple yes or no question given to average people. It was a pain in the ass as in they had great leverage when they were a member and not afraid to use it.

[@dirkgonthier101]

That doesn't change the fact that there is NOT ONE European party anymore who proposes to hold a referendum about leaving the EU and that the popular support of membership of the EU has never been greater than today.

[@dirkgonthier101]

@Barry Jones Oh, for crying out loud! Learn at least a bit of history before you begin with spewing your complete nonsense! It were the founding fathers of the EU (the ECCS) who gave the EU (the ECCS) a political goal! And any of the successors of the ECCS took this over! So, the UK knew what the situation was when it became a member! Since then the UK stood only on the brakes! Thank God that the UK isn't a member anymore! Cause since that moment progress became possible again!

[@dirkgonthier101]

@Barry Jones LMAO!!! The UK knew at what it began when it became member! That your politicians never told you that isn't my problrem, neither that of the EU! And neither that the population of the UK was so stupid to follow blindly their rhetoric! Thank God that we're rid of the sanctimonious UK! LMAO!!! 🤣🤣😂🤣🤣😂🤣🤣😂

[@dirkgonthier101]

@Barry Jones LMAO!!! The row with Switzerland is about other things than the ones you claim, but apparently you don't even know that! It's no more than normale and logical that, if you give access to YOUR single market to a country that you also set the terms on which conditions you grant them access. I know this annoys you, cause the EU uses its power to force these conditions. Which is extremely funny to me. 🤣😂🤣 Switzerland isn't a member of the EU but it wants access to OUR single market. It can do so, but on OUR terms. And if the rest of the EU needs to adhere to the four freedoms, which rule the EU, it's also normal and logical that we want any country, that has access to OUR single market, also to respect the same freedoms. But, to tell you the truth, it's very nice to see you squirm for any argument that you can use while you have NONE. Not even that of so-called anti democratic, cause just the same things are happening in the US and its states (except that in the EU their rights are better protected, because many things have to be based on uninamity in contradiction with the US). 😁 Really? LMAO!!! 🤣😂🤣 So, Switzerland won't be invited to Erasmus and Horizon 2020. Both are EU programs. Switzerland isn't a member of the EU. So, why should we grant them access to Erasmus and Horizon 2020? If Switzerland becomes a member of the EU, then it has automatically access to all EU programs and to the single market. If it doesn't do that, it doesn't get access to all EU-programs. We're not silly nor stupid, you know? LMAO!!! 🤣😂🤣 You need to inform yourself. If you still refuse to do that, you look only like a fool. The row with Poland is about something else (the rule of law, to say it in broad terms). And the EU has all the right in the world to do that. The EU is a complex set of rules. Break those rules and you'll pay the price. The same can be said of ANY organisation in the world. If you join a club and you don't respect the rules of that club, you're going to be thrown out of that club. Perfectly normal. This has been the most ludicrous text about the EU that I have EVER read! I have to congratulate you! 🤣🤣😂🤣🤣😂🤣🤣😂

[@AB-zl4nh]

I am afraid the empirical evidence does not support what he claims. It wasn't economic anxiety it was cultural resentment that dominated UKIP then later Leave. Age, education & ethnicity in that order of strength was the strongest correlation with Leave. Older people, without a degree & Anglo/Celtic heritage (White) was more likely to vote Leave. Why? Because older Brits of Anglo/Celtic heritage without a degree are less supportive of multiethnic societies. They're less likely to see sharing sovereignty as a net benefit to themselves. To them Britain is always best.

[@dirkgonthier101]

@Barry Jones You can't help yourself but need to lie each time you open your mouth. It wasn't the UK that saved anybody from the German coalition in WWII. It were the Russians that saved the day of everybody. Proof of that is this fact: 80% of the losses of the German army happened in the East (and not in the West). Germany was already beaten by the Russians, the Ukranians and the Belarussians long before the USA and the UK set foot on continental Europe. The Germans were beaten at Moskou (september '41 - january '42), at Stalingrad (august '42 - february '43) and at Kursk (july '43 - august '43). The Germans didn't move forward anymore since these dates. Not even a bit. All they could do, was to retreat, ever farther. In the end, until Berlin. D-day happened on 6 june '44. When Germany was already beaten. The main effect of the landing in Normandy was that this shortened the war by one year. Not that I'm ungrateful for the efforts the USA and the UK did in liberating West-Europe. But there's no need to constantly falsify history and to appropriate what other people have done as your own deeds. And, there's also no need to think that the USA and the UK did that for the love of our beautiful eyes. Especially the US won much by doing so; they had a huge sales market which depended completely on the output of their industry. How else could the USA ever have 1/2 of the world's production? For the UK, it was different. That country was as good as bankrupt, after the war, and lost its empire very soon after WWII (independenxce of India and of Pakistan: 1947).

[@Kian2002]

Perhaps that is the [single] Brexit benefit: it has forced a realisation to evolve the Union beyond what it was?

[@dirkgonthier101]

No, Brexit gave the opportunity for the EU to deepen its cooperation. While that remained often completely impossible when the UK was still a member.

[@cobbler9113]

@@dirkgonthier101 I agree, the UK was holding both itself and the EU back as a member.

[@dirkgonthier101]

@@cobbler9113 Yeah, that often was the case. So, when the UK left the EU, it was a good thing. Not bad at all. I think that Merkel and Hollande forsaw this cause when Cameron had, once again, a list of items where he wanted exceptions for, for the UK, they clearly said: no. There were things that people were prepared to do to keep the UK on board, but when this list became endless, they decided that it had no use anymore. And they were right.

[@AB-zl4nh]

I am afraid the empirical evidence does not support what he claims. It wasn't economic anxiety it was cultural resentment that dominated UKIP then later Leave. Age, education & ethnicity in that order of strength was the strongest correlation with Leave. Older people, without a degree & Anglo/Celtic heritage (White) was more likely to vote Leave. Why? Because older Brits of Anglo/Celtic heritage without a degree are less supportive of multiethnic societies. They're less likely to see sharing sovereignty as a net benefit to themselves. To them Britain is always best.

[@cobbler9113]

@@AB-zl4nh Lol, Britain is far and away the most ethnically diverse country in Europe. France is probably the only other one that can match it. If this was about racism, these same people would have overwhelmingly voted to stay in.

[@planeurs]

And, having lost the danger of a British veto, we have taken efficient and large-scale measures against tax evasion.

[@martinhambleton5076]

Tax evasion is, and always has been, illegal. Tax planning and avoidance are not.

[@happyslappy5203]

Brexit channel GBNews video about "Labour & Starmer leading in the polls", an angry comment : "But the uninformed voters have this crazy idea that change equals better which of course it doesn’t!".. I replied: "Are you talking about Brexit by any chance?".... No reply. 😂

[@pfhastie]

Who did you reply to? Were you on GBNews at the time or sitting in your house?

[@ab-jx4qs]

Of course the remainers who believed in the fantasy of Project fear were totally informed- they were just lied to.

[@Peringrid]

I think that it is important to realise that a large number of the countries supported policies which assisted everyone whereas the UK consistently wanted exceptions for their own self interest.

[@cobbler9113]

I think that tells you we weren’t suited for EU membership. If we do end up re-joining (God forbid) we cannot return to obstructing or undermining the EU. We have to fully commit.

[@Peringrid]

@@cobbler9113 I suspect that re-joining is not an option till the UK return to the “sick man of Europe “ status of the 1970’s.

[@cobbler9113]

@@Peringrid I doubt we’ll return to that. The UK will restructure and reform itself to a post-Brexit future in the coming years. Whether that means a closer relationship (a form of customs arrangement) or something else remains to be seen.

[@Peringrid]

@@cobbler9113 I wish you and your country fellows all the best in your endeavours.

[@cobbler9113]

@@Peringrid And you guys too. I want us to be friends and allies, just not in a union.

[@Bustergonad9649]

I am born in England but thank fuck I have EU parents. Red passport secured.

[@gerardjlaw]

Feels good, doesn't it? (Irish grandfather.)

[@Bustergonad9649]

@@gerardjlaw same, parents though .🇮🇪☘️

[@AB-zl4nh]

I am afraid the empirical evidence does not support what he claims. It wasn't economic anxiety it was cultural resentment that dominated UKIP then later Leave. Age, education & ethnicity in that order of strength was the strongest correlation with Leave. Older people, without a degree & Anglo/Celtic heritage (White) was more likely to vote Leave. Why? Because older Brits of Anglo/Celtic heritage without a degree are less supportive of multiethnic societies. They're less likely to see sharing sovereignty as a net benefit to themselves. To them Britain is always best.

[@colinwishbone4437]

Bon voyage @#£%&&

[@Bustergonad9649]

@colinwishbone4437 merci beaucoup ! I'll be taking my financial life's work out of this vassal state to the EU, just like the Architects of Brexit. I've heard they have more tomatoes in the EU than you could eat in a lifetime !! 🍅🤣🤣

[@jmo8934]

The one thing it has done is shown every other EU country what leaving looks like and it isn’t good. In that respect it has strengthened the EU.

[@georgepayne9895]

Correct. The withdrawal negotiations were approached by each side with totally different attitudes. Far too many senior British politicians & civil servants were against leaving, our approach was of a 'damage limitation' nature. 'Let's get it done with as little disruption - 'fuss' - as possible. The EU attitude was whatever else happens, Britain must be seen to suffer from leaving - 'pour encourager les autres'. To the 'Eurozealots', European unity is akin to a religion, & has much in common. Anyone who speaks against it is an apostate. They, having a clear objective were always going to achieve their aim. We lost.

[@jmo8934]

@@georgepayne9895 the Brexit farce demonstrating the enormous downsides of leaving the EU was a bonus but the EU didn’t have to try or do anything to Britain that wasn’t an inevitable consequence of leaving. You leave the club you lose the benefits of membership. Britain is now the same as any third country from an EU perspective.

[@lucbos7516]

The undemocratic Europian transfer union should think why people are against them ? Pffff

[@jmo8934]

@@lucbos7516 lol. Do you even have any idea what you are saying or are you just spouting words you have heard garage and the rest back out? Nobody is against the EU. There are countries lining up to join. Every other country is looking at Britain as a country that has had a nervous breakdown. And it has.

[@lucbos7516]

@@jmo8934 The EU is bad news with the Digital ID and euro Total control over 450 million people

[@goaway7346]

EU making efforts to move forward while the UK slips back to become once again the "poor man of Europe". When you remove the "bad apple" from the "barrel", the barrel gets healthier while the bad apple just rots.

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

European Union Total Debt accounted for 732.5 % of GDP

[@stephenbarden6121]

Oh, I was under the impression that Germany had fallen into recession. You need to check your barrel, I think.

[@ducati916SPS]

You couldn't be more wrong.....look at the numbers 😊

[@mogznwaz]

How patronising. I don’t see much harmony in the EU.

[@johnjohnson5116]

I disagree as I think it was a positive for the EU. The British never were really in it and through Up roadblocks and we’re just generally obstructive every chance they got. Since they left polls for the EU is higher than ever. I think with the Germans and the French on the same page more or less they can get a lot. If the Brits ever do decide to try to rejoin there’s gonna have to be some serious groveling involved.

[@kevinkerkhoff6670]

I think it's rather diplomatic of him to say it was a negative for the EU too.

[@mildlydispleased3221]

Support for the EU has gone up because now people see what a disaster leaving would be.

[@Dionysos640]

I read the 'Britain was a blocker' comments all the time. But if you understand the history of the EU then you know that this is utter nonsense. The UK was the champion of both the creation of the single market and of member state expansion and it also contributed to many other initiatives. During it's membership, the UK voted in favour of 98% of all proposed legislation brought forward by the European Commission. I don't like the narrative of picking on individual member nations because it is silly and childish but if you were to highlight a 'blocker', it would be France who have pretty much imposed the deeply unpopular common agricultural policy on the whole Union.

[@judewarner1536]

I'm going to assume John Johnson is either American or some similar non-English speaking person owing to the numerous spelling & grammatical errors. There are numerous allusions to the British in the third person. If American, the chances that he understands the friction between ordinary Brits and the EU (plus their British Establishment apologists) is vanishingly remote. Otherwise he is a European pretending to be American and is simply biased against Britain. Parts of political Europe still hate Britain for successfully standing against Hitler (arguably too late) when all others failed. Other parts hate us for actually saving their bacon with the necessary help of the Empire, the US and Russia. And yet others for then leaving them to the tender mercies of Russia. The cultural exceptionalism of the British is still sufficient to put everybody's backs up, especially as it appears to be less and less based in current reality. The only positive for the EU is the present Russian invasion of Ukraine. That external threat has pulled together (mostly) a quasi-political super-state that was starting to show some serious cracks: south vs north, east vs west, that are still bubbling away in the background.

[@charliemaguire2210]

I ACTUALLY agree, the UK never really fitted into the EU because it was created in an alien image ( as the continent and Britain had very different political evolutions, the continent sharing a lot of Napoleonic commonality totally alien to Britain ), now the UK has left, the EU is free to further integrate & peruse the goal of ever closer union something that Britain would always chafe against. To over simplify the EU is essentially Greater France underpinned by German economic might, many of us knew this could never be a good fit for Britain.

[@louis-philippearnhem6959]

His English accent is horrendous (and I am Belgian with an accent too) but his ideas are cristal clear! Merci Mr Barnier! Love from Belgium, EU 🇪🇺

[@paulbourguignon3632]

Il n’y a que les francophones qui ont honte de leur accent. On vous attend faire la même réflexion méprisante à l’égard d’un britannique qui parlerait français avec un accent anglais (Alex Taylor). Votre réflexion est particulièrement minable. Il parle parfaitement anglais et est compris par eux. Les anglophones trouvent en plus du charme à cet accent que vous méprisez avce beaucoup de condescendance. Tout le monde n’a pas la chance comme vous d’avoir un accent Anglais parfait ! Une fois.

[@redred7289]

Have your heard Teresa May speak French? Her accent is like a cheese grater running through my ears!

[@louis-philippearnhem6959]

@@paulbourguignon3632 Ma remarque était gentille. J´ai précisé que mon anglais n´était pas parfait non plus. Désolé si cela vous a choqué, ce n´était pas le but. J´ai beaucoup d´admiration pour Mr Barnier dont j´ai lu le livre présenté dans la vidéo. Mais restons objectifs, son anglais n´est absolument pas parfait comme vous le prétendez, ni d´ailleurs votre emploi de l´expression ”une fois”. Groetjes uit België 🇪🇺

[@louis-philippearnhem6959]

@@redred7289 As long as we understand each other 😁

[@LeafHuntress]

Och, als Belg heb _jij_ natuurlijk het voordeel dat je een accent kunt hebben in vier talen; Nederlands, Frans, Duits en Engels. Liefs leafs (et à tantôt, bis bald, see you!) 😘

[@ecaeas4439]

Barnier shows class here by trying to delve into the sentiment that swung so many to brexit. We're all comfortable with concluding it was xenophobia, racism, stupidity, which it was to a large extent. But he's aware also that people who had been failed by the UK government for generations were far more susceptible to the kind of rhetoric spat out by Farage, Johnson, Gove, etc. One of the EU's biggest aims to achieve it's goal of peace is economic prosperity across europe. Many people in the UK didn't have this even when the UK was in the EU - and that's entirely the fault of UK governments. At least Barnier recognises that similar sentiments exist in other EU countries, like his own. They might be a minority of the Population, but they are being successfully turned against the EU (even if none of the euroskeptic parties are suggesting leaving the EU anymore) and they will vote for MEPs and parties domestically who will fail the people and attempt to obstruct further integration.

[@raahauge]

I think the French made a mistake by not electing Barnier as President when they had the chance.

[@gdok6088]

@@raahauge I agree - Barnier is a far better statesman than Macron (aka little Napoleon) will ever be.

[@catinthehat906]

Fair play to Barnier here- he acknowledges at 1:11 that "free movement" (the Blair governments failure to put in place the 7 year migration controls that France Germany and most of the rest of the EU used) was a significant factor in the decision. Had Blair made that decision I think the outcome of the referendum would have been different.

[@gdok6088]

@@catinthehat906 I totally agree. Another Blair Government mistake alongside the invasion of Iraq.

[@tinynijman9077]

So well ! Thank you 👍

[@pvught390]

Three years after Brexit, the British are still waiting for the benefits. Greetings from the Netherlands

[@jmccullough662]

But what has the EU done in the last 5 years that we should look at with an admiring eye?

[@louis-philippearnhem6959]

@@jmccullough662 The EU is a political peace project. You should listen to Mr Barnier. But I don´t think you are willing to understand what he said.

[@joprocter4573]

Be ashamed EU

[@joprocter4573]

@@louis-philippearnhem6959 not if going to dictate over leaders of member countries. Not if it wages surreptitiously war on Russia... In our name.. Not if destroys countries indentidy.. Not if it blackmails

[@peterpan1435]

Britain has not effectively left the EU.

[@massimoaccorsi9619]

Each crisis results in a strengthening and further centralisation of European powers, consistent with Europe’s original strategic plan. Before the subprime crisis, Europe had no real control over banks. Before the Covid crisis, there was no common health policy neither a common investment plan as big as Next Generation EU. Before the Ukraine crisis we have never witnessed any form of common European foreign policy, now von der Leyen go to Kiev to talk about economic and military aid in the name of Europe. The pace of European centralization is closely following the growth of Sino-American dualism, because the european nations don't want to be crushed in that pincers. Also in the relations with the US the centralization is strengthened and now we are witnessing the first signs of a real commercial war between the two sides of the Atlantic. In all this the UK is now an irrelevant spectator, having emasculated itself of all its influence.

[@louis-philippearnhem6959]

Well said

[@cobbler9113]

Disagree, the UK on its own has been an extremely key supporter of Ukraine both before and during the conflict.

[@gerardjlaw]

@@cobbler9113 Total aid to Ukraine: UK - 7 billion euros EU States - 17 billion euros EU - 35 billion euros US - 48 billion euros Rest of World - 6 billion euros We're certainly pulling our weight in terms of individual countries, but we're a minnow in comparison to the EU and the US.

[@cobbler9113]

@@gerardjlaw We were also providing arms and training before the conflict, one of the very few states in Europe that were doing so. The UK has also provided plenty in arms aid since the conflict such as anti-tank weaponry. Better than Germanys several dozen helmets…

[@gerardjlaw]

@@cobbler9113 Last year we provided 4 billion euros of military aid whereas the EU plus its member states gave 12 billion. That's a respectable showing for a single country on its uppers but it still means we're a minor player.

[@kenharris5390]

The information and discussions in the lead-up to the Brexit vote were hampered by the modern media cycle, most data that the public received was in line with the short interview or sound bite that is the norm in the new information age. Very little detail or consequences of the vote were shown because of the complexity and broad scope of the whole campaign and was unable to be examined because the time taken to go into the details was constricted by the news cycle that had to fit into the rest of the programme or newspaper column. This resulted in Jingoism, slogans, catchphrases, and outright lies, that last phrase relates to the fact that claims are not fact-checked in a timely manner, and the ability to bring that to the public's attention. Whether the EU is a different entity after Brexit is yet to be seen, but the consequences of leaving the UK are plain to see at this time.

[@byde6673]

From Brexit benefited EU the most. After years of shambles in UK no European party is mentioning exit anymore.

[@iedco4]

The voice of a true leader and statesman.

[@AB-zl4nh]

I am afraid the empirical evidence does not support what he claims. It wasn't economic anxiety it was cultural resentment that dominated UKIP then later Leave. Age, education & ethnicity in that order of strength was the strongest correlation with Leave. Older people, without a degree & Anglo/Celtic heritage (White) was more likely to vote Leave. Why? Because older Brits of Anglo/Celtic heritage without a degree are less supportive of multiethnic societies. They're less likely to see sharing sovereignty as a net benefit to themselves. To them Britain is always best.

[@paulfloyd9258]

Whilst I quite like Barnier, I wouldn't call him a leader and certainly not a statesman. He failed in his bid to be a French presidential candidate.

[@rchatte100]

Nice to see UK is 4th highest global exporter since leaving EU!

[@martinbennett2228]

Michel Barnier is a conservative. It is not surprising that he advocates a more conservative EU. It is not that he does not understand what changes are needed, but his instinct is to slow down. Obviously there are risks in this too, but for Michel Barnier these risks are outweighed by those that come with more incisive action.

[@cobbler9113]

This the same Michel Barnier getting snooty and telling us we can’t pick and choose which EU rules to follow while saying France should be able to do just that while running for President?

[@martinbennett2228]

@@cobbler9113 Did he? In any case there is an enormous difference between being part of the club and being an outsider. Only insiders get to decide the rules. The UK as a member got to wangle all sorts of helpful rules and also some opt outs. This privileged position no longer exists. Actually Barnier never ran for the Presidency, he campaigned to be the candidate for the Conservative Republican Party but lost out to Valerie Pecresse.

[@etiennedelaunois1737]

The problem with British, is that you think that the rest of the world is copy of Britain. Barnier is not a Conservative, he is right-wing. Zemmour in France is conservative for example.

[@lucbos7516]

The undemocratic Europian transfer union should think why people are against them ? Pffff

[@luckyflynt1646]

It got a lot better after the UK left. What does that tell us?

[@elizabethp.kanizin9009]

EU has changed since UK left. The EU countries is able to work as a collective whole, giving better "strength" among members, and are better in coping with changes.

[@louis-philippearnhem6959]

There is no culture of compromise in the UK. The “cake” you now. But it doesn’t work like that. It’s give and take.

[@tinynijman9077]

@@louis-philippearnhem6959 Yes and that was such a big mistake of Britain. To not able to compromise and this Government we have at the moment in England carries on with this crazy tactic.

[@jmccullough662]

How do the threats towards Hungary and Italy fit in with your comments?

[@pansepot1490]

@@jmccullough662 What threats? You mean like Italy being given the biggest chunk of the huge covid recovery funds? While the north of England is still waiting for the leveling up £££ from Westminster to materialize.

[@ab-jx4qs]

I see Germany is soon going to break EU laws by scrapping Green initiatives. Now how much do you expect them to be fined. Not a single Euro. You see the Germans own the EU and rules are only for lesser states like Hungary and the UK.

[@FloatingOnAZephyr]

It’s an extraordinary point to raise collectively borrowing a gargantuan amount as a positive point when the major thrust of the pro-Brexit argument was that the EU was becoming too integrated and overreaching its original mission and mandate. Unintentionally, he answers the question: the UK is not on the hook for any part of that €750B debt. Yes it has its own debts, but it manages those debts itself, which is sort of what the Take Back Control lot were banging on about. I wonder who is more likely to have repaying issues, it’s a tough call!

[@Harry-tb8yo]

It's also extraordinary to claim that the EU overreaches its original mission and mandate. The EU never has only been about trade and economy. If you look up the treaty of Rome (1957) you will find the goals of the EU clearly stated (peace between European nations), as well as the tools to achieve that (trade and political integration). The EU only overreached what the UK thought its mission and goal was. But the EU did not change its goals or structure for the UK in the past and it certainly will not do that in the future.

[@FloatingOnAZephyr]

@@Harry-tb8yo It's a matter of extent. Yes, the original treaty included elements of political integration, but it didn't to my knowledge state the end goal was a federalised Europe, which is where it seemed headed and the likes of Macron have openly stated they'd like it to end up. There has even been talk on occasion of a European army, though probably mostly paper talk for now. The name changed from Economic Community to Union. The point I'm making is that it's a strange thing to brag about the ability to take on debt, like it's a good thing, when the UK's monetary contribution to the EU was a major stick the remainers were beaten with in the referendum campaign, and the obligation to aid failed economies such as Greece was another reason many wanted to leave. It's just tone deaf.

[@Harry-tb8yo]

@@FloatingOnAZephyr Once again you prove that you did not and still do not understand the concept of the EU and the former EEC. Again, the goal always has been to maintain peace between European nations. There is no end goal for that. It is an ongoing process. There is also no end goal for political integration. This integration is also an ongoing process since too few things can be predicted precisely. When Barnier tells about the borrowed money he wants to underscore that this was and is a common thing. He didn't brag about borrowing money, he bragged about doing such thing together and doing that for a specific reason. Keep in mind that all member states have to agree on such things. The EU is not a foreign entity which does things against the will of its members. Borrowing money is btw. pretty common for governments. Or what do you think government bonds are being issued for? Whoever is not satisfied with the EU and its policy is free to leave. No one is holding them back. But noone wants to leave anymore since they saw the mess the UK created upon itself. Seems that all those countries regard the benefits of the EU higher than its drawbacks.

[@ab-jx4qs]

So how is the EU gong to repaYy its huge debt? I expect it will grow even larger each year until it is totally unmanageable, then bank the EU collapses. The EU's current recession will seem like heaven when it goes bust.

[@Harry-tb8yo]

@@ab-jx4qs Dream on. You cannot even put a sentence together without a mistake but think you have a degree in economics. 😂

[@Radictor44]

Everyone's so against the UK and the British people for leaving the EU. The UK and the British people never voted to join in the first instance.

[@frankgott1388]

Oh yes they did

[@SnabbKassa]

It wasn't meant to strengthen the EU. We should have been able to stay in, but once Merkel rejected Cameron's demands, we couldn't. Juncker's federalist rants and the other EU leaders' indulgence of his public drunkenness was the last straw.

[@MrNiuj]

Where's the full video?

[@tinynijman9077]

Good question I would like to see that as well.

[@louis-philippearnhem6959]

Look for the KZbin channel The UK in a changing Europe

[@louis-philippearnhem6959]

The full video disappeared so it seems !

[@informedchoice2249]

If anything it is important to learn that informing people of the benefits of something is more important than allowing populists to proselytise against it.

[@lewis7315]

A truthful episode of "Yes Minister" made the point that the UK joined the EU so they could cause as much confusion as possible!!!

[@solentrambler]

Humphrey Appleby said in Yes Minister that the EC was formed to get Germany to rejoin the human race.

[@wongjefx980]

He is trying to be diplomatic and conciliatory....but the EU s better off without the UK because it was able to change, without the UK dragging down progress. Look at the state of government n UK...they can't function even on their own. EU countries contemplating their own exit have been scared straight by Brexit. The EU is addressing concerns of member states, the bloc projected recovery will outpace the UK. The UK is still talking about Brexit, while the EU has moved on. The EU wouldn't take the UK back even if they wanted back in. Why let an abusive husband back in the family some say.

[@henryvagincourt4502]

Totally agree, you are far better off without us, and we are better off without you.

[@abrahampresence8297]

@@henryvagincourt4502 how are you better off without the EU given state of your economy?

[@henryvagincourt4502]

@@abrahampresence8297 Well cock, look at Germany today, slipped into recession.

[@ab-jx4qs]

No, rejoiners are talking about Brexit and many foreigers are talking about it too even though it is of no concern of theirs. I wonder how Le Pen and AfD will do in upcoming elections That is if Germany hasn't banned the AfD. Such a democratic move-not.

[@javierlav]

I would say Brexit was a "civil war" inside the UK and in all civil wars there are external interests that come into play and invest on one side winning to afterwards benefit from the spoils or the effect of the change. Who were interested in Brexit and perhaps a domino effect in other EU members?

[@earthman6700]

To weaken Europe and the UK. As per China and Russia. Follow the money. They did a Nordstream on us.

[@TheBigjimlizzy]

The EU didn't try to hard to keep the UK in the EU as I recall,

[@frankyboy1131]

No, and why should they? The FartAsses and the Govists and the Johnsonists and the Moggsters would have shouted: "Look, they are even more trying to control us and holding us back!" Well, it was the UK's choice. Maybe the didn't get what most of them wanted, but they got what they voted for. End of story.

[@ab-jx4qs]

No they didn't. They merely set out to punish us for using a democratic means to leave. The EU only cares for the bureaucrats and not the citizens. Le Pen is coming for them.

[@kevinpeat3721]

What a great man. Our negotiators were completely outclassed.

[@martinhambleton5076]

Our negotiators need not have gone. There was nothing to negotiate. I still say that a poor job was agreed by both parties intentionally and absolutely. We all just sat back and watched corrupt pantomime by busy people doing nothing to full effect. Conservative, Labour, it matters not, the whole lot are not worth a good kick up the backside. 🏴‍☠️

[@newblackdog7827]

A “great man” who seemed overawed when he visited Downing St. He’d obviously never seen London before. Betcha he knows very well indeed what Berlin looks like!

[@tinynijman9077]

👍

[@AB-zl4nh]

I am afraid the empirical evidence does not support what he claims. It wasn't economic anxiety it was cultural resentment that dominated UKIP then later Leave. Age, education & ethnicity in that order of strength was the strongest correlation with Leave. Older people, without a degree & Anglo/Celtic heritage (White) was more likely to vote Leave. Why? Because older Brits of Anglo/Celtic heritage without a degree are less supportive of multiethnic societies. They're less likely to see sharing sovereignty as a net benefit to themselves. To them Britain is always best.

[@RF_Burns]

You can dress it up any way you like, but It's ultimately all about control. Should a sovereign nation outsource that? I think not, your opinion may differ.

[@susanhonegger9987]

For me EU is about peace & prosperity for all. And isn't it obvious that individual countries become more potent working together as a group?

[@user-rv6bo9tr3p]

at last one reasonable andpragmatic person thanks

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

the interviewer?

[@terror1234]

We in Europe don't feel England leaving the community at all 🤭 lol but the English keep saying that we lost with Brexit.

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

you lost 10 billion euros every year

[@terror1234]

@@SNORKYMEDIA If we lose and have the English out of Europe we don't care. Thank you for leaving the U.E.! You who made colonies on all continents now don't accept colonists... it already demonstrates what you are 🖐️ .

[@zippymufo9765]

He's being very diplomatic here. The truth is that Brexit did benefit the EU----after seeing what the UK went through, Leavers in France and Greece and other countries reversed themselves. It demonstrated to all Euroskeptics that Leaving wasn't what they really wanted.

[@grahammidwinter9895]

The UK has gone down since its involvement in the EU.

[@user-tk1hr8nj2b]

What about those you effected by all this confusion of BREXIT???

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

who is this "you"? the government are the ones who fckd up brexit. It could have given the UK a massive advantage but Boris and co couldnt be trusted to look after a flock of sheep

[@ralphmacchiato3761]

Full video kzbin.info/www/bejne/qojKgIqvhqibh8k

[@pulchralutetia]

It's time for the UK to eat humble pie and REJOIN THE EU.

[@Harry-tb8yo]

Not going to happen.

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

why so our vacinne roll outs take 10 times as long

[@henrytan5588]

Brexit is the greatest folly of the Tory Party. The place of the UK is always in Europe for geography. The EU is able to reform with the participation of the UK in the EU. With Brexit the UK has lost 51 years of experience in nation building. If the UK felt that the EU is not democratic then when the EU become democratic, the UK will have left and unable to enjoy the EU democracy. What a great loss for democracy to the UK.

[@batcollins3714]

Since when has the UK become democratic? An unelected House of Lords who actually buy their position and their ability to make laws, an unelected King and an unelected Prime Minister. Tell me where is the democracy. MEPs are democratically elected by every country in the EU. Would you like to debate any of those statements

[@ab-jx4qs]

But the UK had many many more years of nation building than the EU anfd EEC that preceeded it. Twice the UK had to intervene to save Europe (the continent) from Germany. But don't let FACTS get in the way of stupidity.

[@solentrambler]

The UK has been a stable, evolving democracy for 300 years. It has close trading, diplomatic, security links with 56 sovereign countries in the world wide Commonwealth. The 21st century ‘s future is unarguably in the east. The inward looking EU is barely 30 years old, formed to solve mid 20th century problems. Its foreign policy is a mess. It has no solutions to mass migration. Barnier is a dinosaur.

[@Sam-lw6mx]

Wow. Can he become our PM, please

[@francoisleyrat8659]

No, we are not lending him😊

[@Sam-lw6mx]

@@francoisleyrat8659 oh no,so we are stuck with our 🤡

[@flitsertheo]

@@Sam-lw6mx Maybe you want Verhofstadt instead ? He has quite some credentials : party leader, Belgian MP, EU MEP, PM of Belgium. And he likes old British sportscars.

[@professorplums722]

So it took the UK to leave for the EU to recognise that internal EU wide open borders is a problem? All they had to do was give Cameron some sort of win when he went to the EU ahead of the ref....but wee drunker and Barney's egos wouldn't allow them to see clearly. Somehow they (those in the EU) see much clearer now. Opening one's eyes within the EU can only be a good thing.....perhaps the EU luvies on this forum might even concede that....if their egos will allow them...

[@frankyboy1131]

Another stubborn Brexiter who only understands what he wants to understand ... Oh, of course, the Brits want us to bleed when they shoot themselves in the foot. 😅 Obviously. The annoying thing is, Europe doesn't bleed from Brexit.

[@andrewdavies8954]

of course it's not the same ,the EU is yesterday,finished,adios

[@jimmiller5600]

Is it "lose - lose"? Yes. But it is LOSE - lose with the UK falling further.

[@ab-jx4qs]

Yes it is "lose lose " but he poster is obviously pooply educated.

[@user-zx1pc9eq8w]

He's just being diplomatic to the interviewer. Lots of Europeans are happy the British left and now are suffering. It was a bitter divorce and the British are the ex-wife who thought she was so hot, she could find a better husband. The Europeans don't want the British back and everyone now looks to Ireland for investments instead of London because many companies prefer to use English as their official language and Ireland provides the communication access as well as access to the single European market.

[@solentrambler]

The UK is European. Has been for millennia.

[@dapred00]

Brits always wanted to follow a different path than Europe, even when they joined (with a rebate as if they were short on money!) to make more from trade. Telling them the EU had evolved since they left, acting in a more concerted and collective way, would spoof them rather than charming them into joining back. Brexit actually is an opportunity for the EU to go its way without having the UK pulling on the other side assuming England's wealth and pleasing the US were the sole purposes of the EU. Even the US told them leaving the EU was a bad idea, guess why!

[@mrstevecox7]

Excellent comments from a wise statesman

[@MrDrbld]

Who voted for him?

[@mrstevecox7]

@@MrDrbld The voters of Europe (including us) voted for the European MEP's. The MEPs vote in the members of the commission. Barnier was one of these. Quite a lot more democratic than Johnson appointing Dominic Cummings for example..

[@MrDrbld]

@@mrstevecox7 And for the other Commissioners? Charles Michel, Christine Lagarde? Von de Leyen?

[@mrstevecox7]

@@MrDrbld All of them are confirmed in their posts by the votes of elected MEPs. Still more democratic than our system.

[@LeafHuntress]

Charles Michel; the Belgians Christine Lagarde; the French Ursula von der Leyen; the Germans Reese-Mogg is also only voted for by a small part of Somerset, that inflicted him on your nation. You would think that someone from a FPTP voting system would understand districts. Though the EU uses PR, most people vote for a politician from their country, i believe only Volt & the Pirate party are multinational. The EU parliament is voted for directly via elections every 5 years. The commission is voted for from the parliament, each commissioner was voted for & known in their own country. Frans Timmermans was a spitzenkandidaat, but Ursula won the prize. The European council is made up by people send there from each EU country’s government, so also indirectly voted for. The council of Europe is made up of the relevant ministers of each country, so when the topic is agriculture you’ll find those ministers there. As you see EACH part is democratic, either directly or indirectly. Stop using this point, it’s so fecking stupid...

[@richardsimms251]

Michael Bernier is right that Brexit is a “loose-loose” atrocious decision made by a gullible, poorly educated, but well-meaning British voter I hope Canada NEVER makes a mistake like that by foolishly canceling our trade agreement with the United States and Mexico ! RS. Canada

[@aleph8888]

The UK has an FTA with the EU. No-one in Canada or Mexico wants to form a customs union with the US. Might be in their economic interests to do so but they would lose accountability. The British won’t rejoin the customs union; 85% of the tariff revenue would go to Brussels, now with Brexit 100% of that revenue goes to the UK Treasury.

[@ashleyfortey6288]

750 billion Euros of borrowing, that bloody scares me no end!

[@PaddyDoesasia-bj3bb]

The UK has 3.5 trillion euros of debt

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

European Union Total Debt accounted for 732.5 % of GDP...uk just over 100%

[@gordonfleming458]

You meeeeen it’s not a trading block but a unelected political union

[@Daddyclive]

The unofficial motto of the EU could be, "Sharing the misery equally." That's why the UK left. It was England's second exit, the first being 600 years ago called The Reformation when Henry 8th stopped paying millions into the coffers of the dominating Vatican city when he needed the money to build defences against the then enemies, Spain, France and Holland. England then went on to be the most successful nation the world has ever seen. Just history repeating itself.

[@sarahann530]

So you think the UK will be successful rebuilding the Empire ?

[@jonasv.c.8924]

Maybe. But the UK's unofficial anthem could be: "And do our feet since ancient time walk upon England's lower class. And did our forefathers of old tell them to get up off their arse. And did they try to pass the blame for all of their society's ills. Now we are just the same, only worse, since Maggie's closed the dark satanic mills." (all credit goes to the geniuses of Spitting Image)

[@fredcarson2791]

If the EU think we British are simply losers why do they have anything to say about us? Why not just leave us to trade with the rest of the world and see to their own affairs? Actually, I don't think Monsieur Barnier is describing the EU as it really is but there's no point in concerning myself anyway. Brexit is our future and I'm happy with that.

[@garyrowe58]

We try to, but you keep making a song and dance about it. You supposedly left years ago, bit still haven't done much about it. Except complain.

[@Tellemore]

So, how are all those new trade deals working out? How’s the inventory of parts going for the manufacturing industry? How is all the new hospital building going on? What about the agriculture sector; are the labour requirements being met? It must be great to be in a British hospital these days with all those extra English nurses… Oh, sorry there are none.

[@fredcarson2791]

@@Tellemore Dismissed as too biased.

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

European Union Total Debt accounted for 732.5 % of GDP UK is 101.6%@@Tellemore

[@Robbiewa-bg4lu]

As a Brexit supporter I think the EU is better off without us. We were basically a pain in the ass for the EU because we wanted something different than what they wanted. We weren’t compatible with the EU and vice versa. We should have stopped in EFTA instead of joining the then EEC.

[@keithfowler2013]

Where do you go to borrow 750 billion euros ?????

[@ptidunne]

IMF, international monetary fund

[@keithfowler2013]

@Pat Dunne I know that but with every country in the world borrowing ??????????? I was being sarcastic. Sorry !

[@tomsommer8372]

A price gladly paid as long as the Brits are gone. Forever. Bu-bye!

[@jillybe1873]

It's true the EU has done most of what David Cameron asked for. If only then could have waited instead of falling for crooked Boris

[@louis-philippearnhem6959]

It was never enough and would never be enough for the UK. I think that there is a huge lack of compromise in your country. Look at the strikes now.

[@andylucas1175]

@@louis-philippearnhem6959 You are correct. What is wrong in the U.K. is that people are continually propagandised to believe that the British Empire was a good thing. Sadly the British Empire was only good for wealthy individuals; during its term the majority of the British people, along with numerous usurped countries, were themselves being oppressed. This New British Empire, peddled as Brexit, omitted to mention the huge downsides it would incur for the vast majority of the nation. All of which was hidden or downplayed by tax avoiding media moguls and wealthy elites, both of these groups wished to maintain a stranglehold over the workers of the nation. Sadly people who state anti-Brexit rhetoric are classed as anti-British and traitors to their own country, when quite the opposite is true. The future for many people in our nation has been destroyed to enable wealthy elites to hide more money in off-shore bank accounts. Those workers foolish enough to vote for Brexit voted for their own economic demise, yet even now refuse to acknowledge their folly; ego has a lot to answer for and proves for them to be a major character flaw.

[@elektra9474]

@@louis-philippearnhem6959 The lack of compromise is mainly on the part of our current government. They don't seem to understand the basics of how to negotiate. Probably because none of them have held down a job where negotiation skills were essential. The nursing union even said it would be prepared to drop its pay demands from 19% rise to 10% - in a desperate attempt to get the government to open up a dialogue. Since then, nothing.

[@brianbozo2447]

The EU did nothing to curb illegal migration and failed to apply asylum laws with people landing in Greece or Italy and traveling through multiple safe countries before then paying criminals in northern france up to 5 or 10 thousand to ferry them into england to use British lawyers to abuse asylum law. The EU bullies countries inside the EU ( Hungary, Poland, Ireland ) or outside the EU ( Serbia) to submit to its demands and submits to the US demands without challenge with BNP paying the US 9 BIllion for a purported infraction of the law and engages in business with Israel while Israel destroys buildings in Gaza built with EU funds and the EU applies no consequences . The EU Is an appealing idea if it limited itself to cultural and educational exchanges but it is continually expanding its remit to undermine nations sovereignty and indecent foreign policy and the reality is it is now led by Germany and to a slightly lesser degree, France and the other countries do what they are told with a threat to withdraw funds or other privileges if they fail to comply. The EU should largely withdraw back to how it was when called the EEC

[@charlybeagrie1119]

No: it's even worse.

[@TheAlexkor]

It's a simple as it is. The UK has lost its common sense, at least England and Wales did.

[@TheBaconWizard]

I think one of the BIG failings, was in the general population not knowing how the EU actually works. There needed to be some positive engagement from the EU. I still hear people talking about how "undemocratic" it is. Well it's more democratic than OUR system, and so far, most people who've said that to me didn't want to answer when I asked if they had bothered to vote in the EU MEP elections at any time.

[@stephenbarden6121]

I think the 2016 Referendum educated UK voters on just how much democratic power had been outsourced to the EU without any genuine debate, and certainly without any genuine leadership from Pro-EU politicians in the UK, who've lied for decades about the EU and its real intention, which is to create a United States of Europe, run by Brussels bureaucrats,with a mere talking shop of a parliament thrown in to keep up the myth of genuine citizen participation. This is the EU's problem; as soon as ordinary voters-you know, they're the mugs who only pay for this political vanity project- learn more about how it works, the less they like it. Jean Monnet was at least honest when he said that the entire project should remain in the hands of unaccountable elites; it's a pity that many of his successors demonstrate rather less candour. A truly federal EU would essentially mean the death of any genuine democratic accountability.

[@hwica2753]

The biggest failure of the EU is freedom of movement without integration. This applies to eastern Europeans moving to the UK as well as the British moving Spain and creating enclaves. Anyone wishing to relocate within Europe should be strongly encouraged to take language and culture classes of the country they are moving to. The EU also needs to fix the tax loophole so part-time residents of a country pays taxes to that country.

[@stefanrafa1348]

Freedom of movement is a good idea it's benefit Germany Spain Italy France beceause they have lack of workers so beceause east European countries have freedom of movement many countries benefit of them,look to Swizterland I don't know exactly when 2 or 3 years ago they have a referendum and they support freedom of movement Europe can't be close like in the past beceause is damaging the economy.

[@Korschtal]

That sounds like a UK problem, rather than an EU problem. Germany has long had the measures you describe for people within to relocate in the country. The problem is this costs money, which is why the UKgov doesn't want to bother.

[@flitsertheo]

Any immigrant wanting to become a Belgian citizen except EU citizens and a few other cast have to a follow a mandatory integration trajectory (which includes language lessons) in order to obtain a trajectory attestation. Fail and it's goodbye Belgian citizenship.

[@XD-pu7oj]

Us in Ireland have a huge polish community and they are well integrated

[@barrydwyer2039]

@@XD-pu7oj The reason being most polish people are catholics and hold the same values, how many black/muslim polish are there in the community?

[@petekadenz9465]

Brexit is certainly a lose, lose, lose for the UK. We really did shoot ourselves in both feet when we voted to leave the EU.

[@ab-jx4qs]

So our economic growth is a lose-lose situation whereas the EU's recession is a win-win? You obviously never studies economics thus making you an ideal rejointard.

[@jimmiller5600]

Brexit -- Brits hating on their local political choices by voting against a union that supported them. Genius.

[@kevinpeat3721]

Indeed. Brexit was a revolt against the politicians who failed to deliver Conservatism and blamed the EU for that failing.

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

supported us by giving us back our own money

[@jimmiller5600]

@@SNORKYMEDIA Have you seen a check for that "640 million pounds a month" yet? Have you noticed the UK economy dropping below the EU average instead of leading it? Notice a long line of other countries trying to leave the EU now that they've witnessed this putrid bonfire of lies, gullibility & dog sh1t ?

[@brianbozo2447]

Barnier will say whatever he can to push an EU agenda. He will never honestly critique the EU. He is right about the EU changing to become completely subservient to NATO. He is a Frenchman. Why not ask him why France has allowed 100000 + to migrate from his country to claim asylum when they should already be safe and able to apply for asylum in their first country of arrival. As it stands France looks like it is trying to pan off its migrant and immigration failures to the UK. What has Barnier done to prevent the EU from seeking to financially penalise the UK for leaving the EU and why does the EU need to keep expanding and why did the EU not uphold the Minsk agreement and why are EU countries fuelling the war in Ukraine rather than seeking a diplomatic solution.

[@tonycook7679]

The EU cannot learn directly from Brexit since it had nothing to do with the EU. How ca the EU, as an external entity to the UK, influence the venal stupidity of people like David Cameron and Farage. Cameron because his party stripped the UK of all the things that made life possible through the obviously certain to fail policy of massive austerity and followed it up by allowing people like Farage to blame the EU for his actions. There were plenty of occasions when Cameron could have stood up and admitted that the Tories were responsible for the disaster they caused, but lets be honest, he was never going to do that, much easier to let Farage and his ilk blame the EU. How can the EU guard against this? How can the EU stop Hungary and Poland from becoming autocracies, they simply can't. This is what sovereignty looks like, it is the right to act against your own best interests when a sufficiently large portion of the electorate have been misled by demagogues and xenophobes like Farage.

[@ab-jx4qs]

Camoron expected the UK voters to fall for Project Fear, but they were not as poorly educated and gullible as he thought.

[@jrjhughes1233]

I long for the day we can rejoin the EU. I think they majority of the country now does. Proud to be British and European 🇬🇧🇪🇺

[@larstenfaelt1859]

Of course you should be proud to be British. But i feel that the whole Brexit idea was driven by some selected that still believe about British exceptionalism that started to "resonate" with the normal people normal pride and love fur the country. Since 30+ years i view myself as a Global citizen first, European second and Swedish thirdly to get the right perspective. That doesn't mean I'm not proud if being a Swede but that doesn't mean i shouldn't see my global perspective as a human. The opposite to those pushing for Brexit. Too many catch phrases that in reality meant something different than one wiyjd think, like "Global Britain" .

[@joprocter4573]

Grow up grow united Kingdom

[@batcollins3714]

Unfortunately that has now become impossible. Its no longer your choice.

[@ssrmy1782]

Nope

[@Horizon344]

Going by this it doesn't sound as if anything's changed with the eu at all since we left, tbh. "Ever closer union" continues.

[@lucbos7516]

The undemocratic Europian transfer union should think why people are against them ? Pffff

[@PaddyDoesasia-bj3bb]

Stop embarrassing yourself

[@Tridhos]

Not often that anyone has to correct Barnier but 52% of the British people did not vote against the EU, that figure was more like just below 40% of those eligible to vote.

[@joseoncrack]

Indeed, it's much worse now.

[@davidreece1642]

We're expected to believe this man?

[@PaddyDoesasia-bj3bb]

When did he ever lie?

[@earthman6700]

Little brexit scammed little England.

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

sound bites achieve nothing

[@earthman6700]

@@SNORKYMEDIA True but neither does your comment 😉 Gets it off my chest so to speak.

[@RodFleming-World]

'The EU is no longer what you left.' No, it's far far worse. And getting more so.

[@PaddyDoesasia-bj3bb]

No it's better. Enjoy your poverty

[@RodFleming-World]

@@PaddyDoesasia-bj3bb wishful thinking.

[@PaddyDoesasia-bj3bb]

@@RodFleming-World Not at all. Just look at the mess the UK is in, the EU now works so much better with the trouble making UK outside as a vassal state that just follows EU rules ,but without any say in the making of those rules.

[@PaddyDoesasia-bj3bb]

@@RodFleming-World And the funny thing is you are a immigrant living in the Philippines and you are into ladyboys!!!

[@RodFleming-World]

@@PaddyDoesasia-bj3bb dream on.

[@andrescasado5975]

EU cradle of human rights

[@ssrmy1782]

Is Andrew Tate still in a Romanian gulag? Has he been charged with any crime yet? How many days of imprisonment without charge is that? 90 days and counting?.......... Continental Europeans have always loved oppressive governance and history demonstrates that conclusively; from Napoleon, to Stalin, to Franco, to Hitler, to Ceacescu, to Robespierre, to Tito, to Milosevic, to Antonescu, to Rakosi, to Pavelic, to Papadopoulos, to Mussolini and so on. There has always been a gulf between Britain and continental Europe, and there is a reason that authorities in the UK must charge a citizen within 24 hours, or release them (and it is not because the EU is the cradle of anything -- other than fascism, socialism, marxism and totalitarian, authoritarian governance on the right & the left). Continental Europeans and Britons have a completely different mindset about the relationship between the state and the citizenry. This will never change.

[@solentrambler]

UK despite all its faults has been a stable (nb) evolving democracy for some 300 years. EU was formed barely 30 years ago. Its two biggest countries are France & Germany. France on its fifth Republic since 1792. Reunited Germany, just over 30 years old, created from two foul regimes. It’s a 20th century inward looking construct to solve mid 20th century problems. The world’s centre has moved to the east.

[@jakkuwolfinsomnia8058]

I think being in the EU makes sense as long as the EU upholds the interests and complies with the will of everybody in the UK like Northern England, Southern England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, not just London. I want the EU to be better and they can only accomplish that by listening and putting ALL the people first. I’m proud of being British but I’m also proud to be European. I really want this Family of Europe to be strong and understanding. 🇬🇧🇪🇺

[@louis-philippearnhem6959]

In what sense was the EU not listening to Northern Ireland or Wales? Where are the subsidies for let’s say Cornwall now? Cornwall has received over 1 billion euros from the EU since the year 2000 which has helped fund jobs, local businesses, infrastructure, training and research. Beneficiaries include the Combined Universities in Cornwall, Newlyn Fish Market (isn’t that ironic?), the Jubilee Pool in Penzance, the Camborne - Pool link road, the Eden Project, Superfast Broadband, and the new Penzance Heliport but there are many more. It has created more than 31,000 jobs and supported more than 26,000 businesses. Cornwall had been on course to receive another £350m for the next round of funding from the years after 2020. Greetings from Belgium, EU 🇪🇺

[@elektra9474]

The EU cannot possibly put the interests and the will of everyone in the UK. It's not realistic. But there should be opportunities for nations to vote on proposed major changes to the EU. There are 27 other countries in Europe each with their own population that have to be taken into account. The big mistake that was made was to allow a simple majority to win the day, instead of stipulating a larger majority e.g. 60/40 split. But Cameron was arrogant and didn't think for one minute that Remain would fail.

[@garyt.8745]

Your statement is pretty dumb. The EU puts the interest of _all EU citizens_ first, not UK citizens. To actually think that UK citizens would somehow be more important than other EU citizens is just the type of British exceptionalism that got us into this mess in the first place. To say/write that in public is pretty sad and demonstrates a total lack of empathy for others in general. Looking out for UK citizens is the job of UK politicians, the same politicians who lied and told the people all their woes weren't _their_ fault but the EU's fault. Now, with hindsight, all can see that was a lie as the woes of the UK are all worse than ever.

[@jakkuwolfinsomnia8058]

@@garyt.8745 as per usual, someone is extrapolating and exaggerating what I’ve said. I meant in terms of the UK as a member of the EU, the EU must take into account the will of ALL British people in the UK not just London. I’m not suggesting the UK be treated as a priority member, that’s not democratic. Honestly, I find it exhausting when people assume such stupid ideas - give your fellow man some credit instead of going off on a tangent. I write too many comments and honestly can’t be bothered to nitpick every little detail.

[@elektra9474]

@@garyt.8745 You are a poorly educated peasant, and need some lessons in English comprehension. Nowhere did I indicate in my comment that I thought the views of UK citizens were more important. In fact I was actually a Remain voter, being too intelligent to be taken in by Brexit lies.

[@hghahn301]

rightly said: EU has changed. But not in the right way. Only big corp's can afford the army of consultants required to comply to the endless stream of newly imposed regulation on chemical industry. Labelling, etc. Medium sized companies are going under. Congrat's EU.

[@kenbeaumont6083]

Mr Barnier may come across as a nice guy.....But we all know from past events, He has never liked the ppl of the UK.

[@Harry-tb8yo]

It wasn't his job to like them. His job was to negotiate WA and TCA with the UK government. His task was not to get a good deal for the UK. His task was to get a good deal for the EU. And that's what he did in a great way.

[@michaelwallace9867]

It goes to prove in order for change the UK needed to leave. You wouldn't have Barnier talking like this otherwise. It's a closed shop, to much bueocracy and those unelected leaders really don't want change, they do very nicely thankyou. They will have to change a great deal for the Uk to even think of returning. So for the moment stay away from this undemocratic nonsense, not neccessary.

[@rebeccanoble6797]

"Borrow together"... There you go. Debt mutualisation and federalising. In one sentence. He's dead set on an EU Politburo, centralising control. That's why we got out.

[@jackdunn3235]

Is it. I didn't see anything about that in the brexit campaign. Care to provide the link?

[@rebeccanoble6797]

@@jackdunn3235 This video. It's all about brexit. And it isn't pro.

[@jackdunn3235]

@@rebeccanoble6797 Are you Russian? I'll take no answer as a yes.

[@jackdunn3235]

@@rebeccanoble6797 provide the link to federalism of the EU? A block that borrows gets a better rate of interest. It's common sense. Ask Farage, he is an investment banker. Or bank's wife, the Russian bird.

[@rebeccanoble6797]

@@jackdunn3235 🙄 1. I'm *not* your personal assistant. Do your *own* research. 2. The federalism of the EU is well known and attested. If you can't find that there is something wrong with you. 3. KZbin filters out *all links.* If you don't know that you are wallowing around in a quagmire of ignorance. Are you an adolescent?

[@Bertie22222]

The illusion of change, swallowed by the gullible whilst accusing others of being gullible.

[@martinhambleton5076]

The eu is not what we joined either. We joined the eec. The eu has its own phoney currency? The eu is now meddling in countries' finances and causes chaos, eg (Greece). Justifying open borders and changing the fabric of those countries that have been turned into disgusting no-go areas as a direct result. The equivalent inefficiency and beurocracy of something that would be resembled in the 1960s-70s of the former USSR. Finances that don't match figures. Enforced compliance. Mr Barnier is correct to a degree but totally misses the point.

[@Harry-tb8yo]

And the EEC was never just a trading bloc. It also doesn't matter what you believed you were about to join back then. Educate yourself on things before you spill out nonsense.

[@ab-jx4qs]

Did you know that Barnier is known as le cretin des alpes by his fellow EU people.

[@fahrdienstleiter2701]

Barnier denounces trade as naive, when it is what European welfare, creativity and the most challenging of European jobs are founded on. Barnier praises additional public spending for no reason but holding other countries liable for own default. The EU is no longer what you left - is true. But given French leadership the EU does not turn to the better on some key issues .

[@adrianthoroughgood1191]

I think if the EU wants sceptical people to be less hostile to membership a good thing they could do is give countries more freedom to not give benefits to immigrants. Allow EU citizens the freedom to go where they want, but they can't get benefits when they get there, until they have lived in the country for a certain number of years. You don't automatically get the right to be treated equally to a local, but you can earn that right over time.

[@catinthehat906]

That was a core issue in Maastricht, that automatic right didn't exist before then. The issue is that the UK didn't have the laws that a country like Germany has. Meldepflicht (compulsory registration) requires everyone, whether German or international, to register at their home address within 14 days. Registration authorities (Meldebehörde) register the persons residing in their area of jurisdiction in order to track population and places of residence. Unlike the UK that provides interpreters for just about everyone the registration appointment is conducted in German. You also have to arrange and contribute to health insurance- that's not required on the NHS.

[@oreganoregan5947]

EU citizens do not have the right to move to another EU country and immediately claim social welfare. I live in Ireland. Immigrants from other EU countries can come here and get a job and after a certain amount of time paying PRSI can claim social welfare if they lose their job.

[@batcollins3714]

Spoken like a true xzenophobe. You dont really understand what the EU is trying to do.

[@stephenbarden6121]

I cannot, for the life of me, see what is remotely left-wing or progressive about the EU. Remember what happened to Greece, who had the cheek and temerity to vote for an anti-austerity government a decade ago?Thanks to the EU, IMF and international finance- an unholy trinity, if ever there was one- the democratically elected government was forced to institute savage spending cuts and a programme of privatisation. Certainly, I can see the EU's appeal to corporate capitalism; the EU's basic economic basis is neo-liberal, lobbying is rampant, deals can be done with relatively little scrutiny, national parliaments are overruled by the primacy of EU law. Sure, great for corporate capitalist politicians, of the George Osborne ilk. But people on the Left supporting the EU? I just don't get it.

[@earthman6700]

Praise and respect for Clare Daly MEP and Mick Wallace MEP. Both have high moral values and integrity.

[@geoffreyhughes9979]

Time to rejoin the EU.

[@gdok6088]

And if people with Michel Barnier's honesty about the benefits for BOTH the UK and the EU of the UK being inside the EU, then we would be welcomed back with open arms. Sadly I fear not all EU leaders are as enlightened and honest as Monsieur Barnier.

[@geoffreyhughes9979]

@@gdok6088 Thanks for your comment.

[@geoffreyhughes9979]

@@gdok6088 Thanks for your comment.

[@normanchristie4524]

Michael Barnier tried so hard to deflect the mad, bad Tory negotiators from the 'Alice in Wonderland' path that they were taking. Unfortunately they had already imbibed the hallucinating potion and fell down the rabbit hole ....

[@geoffreyhughes9979]

@@normanchristie4524 Thanks for your comment.

[@pavarossi1979]

And this, these words of Barrier, shows exactly what the probleem is. Barrieron doesn't understand that what he says is not important for the European citizens. We did not want the EU to borrow 750 billion, we want othercountries to follow the European financial rules so that you do not NEED to borrow that money. We don't want the ECB printing loads of money to support economies with high debts, we don't want the ECB to buy debt papers from countries who are in a bad economic situation because they don't want to make necessary reforms in their economy...

[@cobbler9113]

I won’t delve too much into the argument about whether Brexit has any upsides as we spent years debating it, but it does allow us to focus our horizons a bit further afield in terms of trade and interaction with the world on our own terms a bit more. The EU will always be an important trade partner and ally I hope in the future and we need to remember that. It also keeps us once and for all out of the European Project which will inevitably lead to a European superstate. For all our incompetent politicians flaws, they don’t have the EU to hide behind and they are far more accountable than they have been in decades. Still a long way to go on Brexit and I think as Barnier is approaching this from a European perspective, he won’t see the positives in any case due to his bias. While I am firmly of the belief that we should stay out of the EU and that I will do whatever I can to keep us out at any cost, if we do opt to re-join, both sides need to accept some very, very hard truths. Re-joiners need to be honest with the people in a way that they weren’t last time. I’m not talking about economic forecasts or job growth statistics, the fact you have to stand in a separate queue on holiday at the airport or that businesses have to fill in some forms when selling to EU countries, but the real political implications. If we re-join, there is no way the EU will give us our old opt-outs, rebates etc (we may get Schengen on account of geography). It won’t just be expected, but demanded of us that we join the Euro for example. This will mean nullifying the Bank of England and our economic policies being set in Frankfurt. We will have to sign up to all current policies in full, support ever increasing centralisation of policies being decided in Brussels including defence (an EU military will be inevitable), healthcare, welfare, education etc, reducing the influence of Westminster as a governing force. Eventually this will culminate in a European state, dissolving the United Kingdom and the nations within. No more England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Just Europe and the region you live in. For those of us who support staying out, it is our duty and moral obligation to embrace this if this scenario ever happens. We cannot aspire to our previously soft-eurosceptic arrangement. We must continue to fight for mega hardline anti-mass migration policies into the EU, tough penalties on criminals from Galway to Nicosia and a strongly pan-European nationalistic ideal to stand up to Russia, China and possibly even the United States.

[@drn.o.thunderfinger9738]

Roughly translated "Hang 'em, flog 'em, sink 'em"?

[@cobbler9113]

@@drn.o.thunderfinger9738 When it comes to illegal migrants, I’d rather deport them first. If we do re-join, and in the assumption that we will develop a more hardline scheme against the illegals, we can bring what we’ve learned to Europe and keep the invaders in Libya, Turkey and Morocco.

[@ab-jx4qs]

Typical no thought rejointard.@@drn.o.thunderfinger9738

[@darkmatter6714]

So what he’s saying is that the EU has now got its act together to fix the things which prompted the UK to leave in the first place. So thanks to Brexit.

[@mothermovementa]

😂🥴

[@davidwarnes5158]

750 billion has to be paid back ? And that will be paid by tax payers not brussels . Uncontrolled borders what he was talking about is outside the eu,

Squealing jabber from the low IQ brigade.

[@raahauge]

That's a pretty narrow approach to things. The 750 billion was not used on "Brussels", but the tax payers. And the tax payers should pay them back. What Barnier is probably hinting at, is that it's usually cheaper to pool loans together than to take individual loans.

[@asmodon]

What he was talking about was that negotiating a loan together is more efficient and cheaper than each country negotiating on their own. The money was needed to battle the COVID crisis.

[@TheGullyfoyle]

Thats peanuts spread across the EU states, we’re losing 100 billion a year because of our exit, the UK had an £850 billion deficit under Labour, under the Conservatives it’s now 3.1 Trillion, and this is the party of supposed fiscal prudence. Whichever way you cut it under labour our public sector was better an Brexit is a disaster that our children will be paying back for generations.

[@olearyma57]

Hello Dave. On that UK vaccine again ? THE WAY IT WORKS IS THIS: Sovereign UK prime minister and Sovereign UK Chancellor want to implement tax cuts as the economic basis of growth. Sovereign UK goes to MONEY MARKETS to borrow and fund this strategy and are laughed at and roundly disparaged as fools and knaves. Sovereign PM and Chancellor resign - not removed by the votes of the Sovereign UK population mind you but rejected by 'emperors of all' money men. A minor power with delusions of 'political independence and democracy' laughed out of their presence. EU goes to exact same 'emperors of all' money men and get what they want. The EU has the power to show the Dog who is Master. Go easy on that vaccine Dave !.

[@joprocter4573]

Wef.. Un.. Who.. EU CORRUPTi

[@dirkgonthier101]

LMAO!!! 🤣🤣😂🤣🤣😂🤣🤣😂

[@jedjones9047]

The brexit voter's are very happy with brexit even though its been made difficult by remainers trying to overturn it' and not accepting the democratic decision to leave' but no matter we'll never go back' the British people have tasted freedom and they like it' and trying to keep your foot in the door with the Irish border made up problem won't work either.

[@PaddyDoesasia-bj3bb]

The majority of British people want to rejoin but no one wants the UK back

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

more bullshit@@PaddyDoesasia-bj3bb

[@kinorspielmann4649]

Barnier, the archetypal Eurocrat.

[@anicetune]

Economic integration is fine. Political integration on the other hand is dangerous and controversial. The UK was tricked into joining the EU in 1975, which was then branded a Common Market. The UK's departure from the EU is good news for everyone in my opinion, especially the EU, which can now pursue deeper political integration without any resistance from the UK.

[@andrewgamble5332]

He comes from Savoy and he is a cabbage.

[@ffi1001]

Anand Menon the closet brexiteer