Johnson’s Brexit plan looks to be working – but only because of recession fears in the bloc
Boris Johnson is now back in the UK following his trips this week to Berlin and Paris, and it would appear that the PM’s Brexit strategy is working.
However, this is mainly due to the threat of a recession in Germany and the need for a good and fair deal for both sides.
Following his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, it looks as though Boris Johnson has brought her closer to his viewpoint on Brexit.
Merkel challenged Johnson to find an alternative solution to the Irish backstop within a month, and signalled she, and of course the wider EU, would be disposed to look into further options.
The media has suggested that the PM has made something of a breakthrough, that his Brexit strategy is functioning well, and he has achieved a diplomatic miracle.
However, it’s my view that the real reason for this ray of light in the ongoing Brexit saga is because a recession is looming over the European Union’s largest economy.
Furthermore, with U.S. President Trump predicted to introduce multi-billion-dollar tariffs on the EU’s imports, the last thing the bloc needs is for the UK to depart without a deal.
As such, it is becoming more and more apparent that it is in the economic interests of both the EU and UK to find common ground.
As the economic threats mount, this will likely shift the political will towards a more appeasing standpoint.
When Johnson then headed to Paris to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron, the overall mood wasn’t as bright as in Berlin, but with Germany being the main player in the EU, it offered a ray of hope.
That said, although the Prime Minister’s Brexit plan may look as though it is progressively gaining momentum, it’s not because he is a mastermind tactician, it is about the economic headwinds amassing over the European Union.