As Liz Truss turned the brand new British Prime Minister on Monday, Brussels mentioned it hoped for “new beginnings” however made clear its place on Brexit “has not modified one iota.”
“We’re all the time on the lookout for new beginnings, clearly. Something that may assist transfer ahead in our relationship with the UK might be very welcome,” Eric Mamer, spokesperson for Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, instructed reporters shortly earlier than the results of the Conservative get together’s management contest was introduced.
“As to what we anticipate, this can be very clear, it has not modified one iota, we anticipate the total implementation of the Withdrawal Settlement, the Commerce and Cooperation Settlement that we have now signed and, in fact, the Northern Irish Protocol,” he added.
International Minister Truss, 47, was topped chief of the ruling Conservative get together following a two-month management contest that noticed her overcome seven different candidates.
She gained the ultimate spherical with 81,326 votes whereas runner-up Rishi Sunak garnered 60,399 ballots from the Conservatives’ roughly 200,000 members.
She now succeeds Boris Johnson who was pressured to step down on July 7 after shedding the arrogance of his MPs over a collection of sleaze and COVID rule-breaking scandals.
In her victory speech, she praised her predecessor whom she mentioned “obtained Brexit accomplished” and “stood as much as (Russian president) Vladimir Putin”.
But Brexit stays a painful thorn within the EU-UK relations with Brussels launching a number of infringement procedures in opposition to London for not totally implementing the Northern Irish Protocol which saved the British province throughout the bloc’s Single Market to forestall a tough border on the Irish island.
Nevertheless it created a de-facto border between the area and the remainder of the UK which London instantly decried after formally backing the worldwide treaty.
The UK should present a solution to the EU’s first spherical of infringement procedures by 15 September on the newest.
Truss was within the Stay camp within the lead-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum however progressively aligned herself within the years since with the hard-Brexit fringe of her get together and, in her position because the UK’s diplomat, repeatedly made allusions to Article 16 to unilaterally pull out of the Northern Irish Protocol.
‘Pure mates and allies’
Elsewhere within the bloc, “difficult instances” ushered in by the battle in Ukraine — and never Brexit — have been what leaders seem to give attention to as they congratulated Truss for her victory.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz mentioned he’s “wanting ahead to our cooperation in these difficult instances. The UK and Germany will proceed to work intently collectively – as companions and mates.”
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda wrote on Twitter that he needs her “success and power in main the UK within the difficult instances.”
“The UK is Lithuania’s trusted safety accomplice and ally. Recognize our cooperation in NATO and the UK-led JEF (Joint Expeditionary Pressure).”
Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, in the meantime described the EU and UK as “pure mates and allies, with similar core pursuits at coronary heart.”
“Democracies should stay united, in standing in opposition to autocracy and aggression,” she added.
In Prague, which presently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, Prime Minister Petr Fiala mentioned he believes “that Nice Britain will proceed to be a worthwhile ally of the Czech Republic and European Union.”
Even in Dublin, Brexit was not talked about though closely implied with Taoiseach Micheál Martin writing: “I stay up for working with you, as PM of our nearest neighbour, on vital points we face collectively, each bilaterally and globally.”
