For EU, Johnson exit won't change much; damage already done
BRUSSELS (AP) — From his days stoking anti-European Union sentiment with exaggerated newspaper stories, to his populist campaign leading Britain out of the bloc and reneging on the post-Brexit trade deal he signed, outgoing U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been the bane of Brussels for all so many years.
Such was his impact on breaking the bonds between Britain and the EU that after Johnson was forced to announce Thursday that he would step down, the news brought little public jubilation in EU circles. Instead, there was just the numb acceptance of the inevitable and resignation that things will never be the same.
“I will not miss him,” French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said, highlighting an open disdain unseen since the Europeans welcomed the U.S. election loss of Donald Trump in 2020. And while trans-Atlantic relations picked up quickly since the arrival of President Joe Biden, don’t expect anything similar with a new British leader, politicians and experts said.
“Even with a new prime minister, I believe there will likely be few changes in the British government’s position” on the main Brexit issues causing current divisions, said David McAllister, the leading EU legislator dealing with the United Kingdom.
https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-global-trade-brexit-brussels-47d6998eddb0dbdb267e96d836c61a62
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