BREXIT Mega Thread (The Saga Begins?)

[Ifreann]

Theresa May is going to use the money we aren't going to pay the EU to buy us each a pony.

So that's what Dirty Brexit means...

[Aromanticism]

Also Nigel is continuing his quest to make us an international laughing stock.

I thought he was enough of one himself...

[Neu Leonstein]

A few things about the German position on Brexit: Berlin embraces its own hard Brexit

BERLIN — It took less than 24 hours for Brexit to disappear from Germany’s front pages.

The morning after U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May formally informed the European Union that her country was headed for the door, every British tabloid led with the story under banner headlines. In Germany, meanwhile, the largest-selling daily Bild featured a famous German comedian announcing plans for a civil union with his longtime boyfriend.

It wasn’t just the front pages — in the Bundestag, a debate last week about Brexit was sparsely attended and received little media coverage. “The mood here,” said Jens Zimmermann, an MP, “is different.”

Or make that indifferent — at least when it comes to the messages from London. As the rhetoric in Britain careens into overdrive — invasion of Gibraltar, anyone? — the Germans remain Germanically impassionate, unimpressed by what were perceived as poorly veiled threats regarding security and trade.

[...]

[Questers]

British blackmail lol

Yes because we're obliged to co-operate on security!

[Questers]

Outside of the budget, defence and security is probably Britain's most valuable contribution to the Europe. Why is it not supposed to use it as a leverage?

[Ifreann]

Outside of the budget, defence and security is probably Britain's most valuable contribution to the Europe. Why is it not supposed to use it as a leverage?

Presumably because Britain is a nation that values human life, and as such one cannot imagine that Britain would ever decline to share intelligence that might save lives in the EU.

[Souseiseki]

real talk britain should be excluded from intelligence sharing and policing cooperation until it reiterates and proves it commitment to defending human rights and the rights of its people and any deal with the EU will involve a strict "don't you dare do that shit to our people" privacy shield similar to the one that is being negotiated with the US

one wonders whether it says anything about us that the best things we have to offer is the expansiveness of our surveillance state and our excellence in the field of killing

[Neu Leonstein]

British blackmail lol

Yes because we're obliged to co-operate on security!

No one is obligated to, though it is in both sides' interest. But a more interesting point on this security talk is this:

High-ranking German politicians believe Westminster has overestimated its negotiation position in the upcoming talks. “They pretend to hold jokers in their hands,” said a government official on condition of anonymity. “This doesn’t seem very plausible, considering they already have to play the terrorism card.”

Outside of the budget, defence and security is probably Britain's most valuable contribution to the Europe. Why is it not supposed to use it as a leverage?

Three reasons come to mind: 1) It would be bad for the UK to lose European cooperation too; 2) tactically, it was played way too early and way too obviously, because now that the threat seems to have fizzled there's nothing more to come; and 3) in terms of intelligence cooperation, most of that is not related to the EU anyway, so the value of that contribution wouldn't even be diminished that much unless the UK also withdraws from the SSEUR group and the like.

[Gim]

British blackmail lol

Yes because we're obliged to co-operate on security!

France is about to follow its European partner.

[British Prussia]

British blackmail lol

Yes because we're obliged to co-operate on security!

France is about to follow its European partner.

If France wants to leave the EU, that's fine, just let it not be Le Pen...

[Gim]

France is about to follow its European partner.

If France wants to leave the EU, that's fine, just let it not be Le Pen...

It's just Le Pen who wants Frexit. She'll be the French Trump.

[Frank Zipper]

British blackmail lol

Yes because we're obliged to co-operate on security!

Only by common sense.

[Gim]

British blackmail lol

Yes because we're obliged to co-operate on security!

Only by common sense.

Indeed.

[British Prussia]

If France wants to leave the EU, that's fine, just let it not be Le Pen...

It's just Le Pen who wants Frexit. She'll be the French Trump.

I know. I don't think she'll win though. If she were a little more moderate, she'd poll so much better. I did like François Fillon, but because of the accusations of corruption, I reckon Emmanuel Macaroon will get it. I always vote centre-right, someone who reluctantly supports Teresa May, but that said, I'd support Emmanuel Macaroon over Le Pen. At least he's young, yes, I'm a bit ageist.

[Gim]

It's just Le Pen who wants Frexit. She'll be the French Trump.

I know. I don't think she'll win though. If she were a little more moderate, she'd poll so much better. I did like François Fillon, but because of the accusations of corruption, I reckon Emmanuel Macaroon will get it. I always vote centre-right, someone who reluctantly supports Teresa May, but that said, I'd support Emmanuel Macaroon over Le Pen. At least he's young, yes, I'm a bit ageist.

Yeah, he's my second option. Time to eat some macaroons.

[British Prussia]

I know. I don't think she'll win though. If she were a little more moderate, she'd poll so much better. I did like François Fillon, but because of the accusations of corruption, I reckon Emmanuel Macaroon will get it. I always vote centre-right, someone who reluctantly supports Teresa May, but that said, I'd support Emmanuel Macaroon over Le Pen. At least he's young, yes, I'm a bit ageist.

Yeah, he's my second option. Time to eat some macaroons.

He does have a fantastic name. He's like, my favourite snack/dessert. That came out weird, but the point stands.

[Gim]

Yeah, he's my second option. Time to eat some macaroons.

He does have a fantastic name. He's like, my favourite snack/dessert. That came out weird, but the point stands.

I think you're trying to say, "Macron".

[British Prussia]

He does have a fantastic name. He's like, my favourite snack/dessert. That came out weird, but the point stands.

I think you're trying to say, "Macron".

I much prefer Macaroon, thanks.

[Gim]

I think you're trying to say, "Macron".

I much prefer Macaroon, thanks.

Have fun eating them.

[Neu Leonstein]

France is about to follow its European partner.

Even if Le Pen won it's not clear that it would. This is probably best explored in the French election thread, but Le Pen would first have to win, then win the parliamentary election* and then call a referendum on the constitutional change required to take France out of the EU. A the moment, that referendum looks like it would fail, because as much as the French public has a problem with the EU works in practice, its general ideas have broad support. So in opinion polls lots of people express their dissatisfaction, but they generally want to change the way it works, not leave it.

* There is a way to call a lesser version of a referendum without parliamentary support, though strictly speaking you can't use it to change the constitution. De Gaulle managed to do it back in the sixties though, so it'll be dodgy as hell but it might be possible.

[Gim]

France is about to follow its European partner.

Even if Le Pen won it's not clear that it would. This is probably best explored in the French election thread, but Le Pen would first have to win, then win the parliamentary election* and then call a referendum on the constitutional change required to take France out of the EU. A the moment, that referendum looks like it would fail, because as much as the French public has a problem with the EU works in practice, its general ideas have broad support. So in opinion polls lots of people express their dissatisfaction, but they generally want to change the way it works, not leave it.

* There is a way to call a lesser version of a referendum without parliamentary support, though strictly speaking you can't use it to change the constitution. De Gaulle managed to do it back in the sixties though, so it'll be dodgy as hell but it might be possible.

Yeah, there's a possibility the French Trump would fail as Trump is failing right now in America.

[Souseiseki]

from what i've heard the FN now only want to leave the euro, not the EU, and they seem to be even softening on that

[Frank Zipper]

Theresa May is going to use the money we aren't going to pay the EU to buy us each a pony.

So that's what Dirty Brexit means...

But at least we will be self-sufficient in rhubarb.

[Souseiseki]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 74706.html

UK to 'scale down' climate change and illegal wildlife measures to bring in post-Brexit trade, secret documents reveal

i'm 90% sure this is another thing we said was going to happen, brexiters said wouldn't and that we're just lying and making shit up and now seems poised to very much happen

[Souseiseki]

it's really weird how the longer this goes on the more the major leave figures backtrack and the more remain lies actually turn out to have been spot on or at least on the right track