One man, 27 nations
Meet the mastermind behind Europe’s Brexit negotiations
By Rachel Westbury
Britain’s exit from the European Union, coined as the portmanteau Brexit, represents one of the most pivotal political events in modern history – the scale of which can be difficult to grasp.
In numbers, Brexit unfolded across 5 years, involved 2 UK Prime Ministers, 4 chief negotiators, and culminated in a 1246-page agreement that reshaped the future of the EU-UK relationship.
Behind this colossal negotiation stood one voice for the EU’s 27 member nations – Michel Barnier.
Ahead of Mr Barnier’s 2024 Rodney Wylie Eminent Visiting Fellowship Lecture Series in Australia, Contact sat down with the French politician and former EU Chief Negotiator to talk about Brexit, diplomacy, and his unusual approach to building unity.
A political paradox
Despite his role as the EU’s former Chief Negotiator for Brexit, you might be surprised to find that Mr Barnier holds a longstanding admiration for the UK.
Reflecting on his political history, Mr Barnier shared that his strong respect for the UK began with his first vote.
“When I was 21, back in 1973, my first vote as a French citizen was in support of the UK, Norway, Ireland and Denmark to join the EU,” he said.
“And I’ve never regretted this vote for the accession of the UK, because I still think that the union gave us strength and hope for the future.”
Four decades later, Mr Barnier found himself facing what he describes as a great political paradox.
“I’ve long held a respect for the UK, for its people, for my counterpart. The great paradox of the situation is that I campaigned for ‘yes’ on that referendum in 1973, and now I was the one in charge of the divorce with the UK after the 2016 referendum.”
Meet the mastermind behind Europe’s Brexit negotiations
By Rachel Westbury
Britain’s exit from the European Union, coined as the portmanteau Brexit, represents one of the most pivotal political events in modern history – the scale of which can be difficult to grasp.
In numbers, Brexit unfolded across 5 years, involved 2 UK Prime Ministers, 4 chief negotiators, and culminated in a 1246-page agreement that reshaped the future of the EU-UK relationship.
Behind this colossal negotiation stood one voice for the EU’s 27 member nations – Michel Barnier.
Ahead of Mr Barnier’s 2024 Rodney Wylie Eminent Visiting Fellowship Lecture Series in Australia, Contact sat down with the French politician and former EU Chief Negotiator to talk about Brexit, diplomacy, and his unusual approach to building unity.
A political paradox
Despite his role as the EU’s former Chief Negotiator for Brexit, you might be surprised to find that Mr Barnier holds a longstanding admiration for the UK.
Reflecting on his political history, Mr Barnier shared that his strong respect for the UK began with his first vote.
“When I was 21, back in 1973, my first vote as a French citizen was in support of the UK, Norway, Ireland and Denmark to join the EU,” he said.
“And I’ve never regretted this vote for the accession of the UK, because I still think that the union gave us strength and hope for the future.”
Four decades later, Mr Barnier found himself facing what he describes as a great political paradox.
“I’ve long held a respect for the UK, for its people, for my counterpart. The great paradox of the situation is that I campaigned for ‘yes’ on that referendum in 1973, and now I was the one in charge of the divorce with the UK after the 2016 referendum.”
A great and unusual transparency
When the UK voted to ‘leave’, not only were they leaving the EU, but also leaving more than 600 international agreements.
These policies touched an array of political and economic ties – from international trade and finances to citizenship and security.
As the sole voice for the EU’s 27 nation states, Mr Barnier was tasked with the challenge of finding unity through this complex uncoupling.
“To build unity, I used a very unusual method – transparency,” he said.
“I worked in the spirit of saying everything, every day, to everybody, on every issue. And so, it was a great and unusual transparency.”
“But it explains how we built the confidence and trust between the member states, trade unions and the community – to trust, to trust us, to trust my team, and to trust me all in the process.”
On the art of negotiation
While most of us likely won’t face a negotiation on the scale of Brexit, many of us will come up against matters that call for conciliation.
When asked what it takes to negotiate well, Mr Barnier shared the importance of finding common ground.
“At the very beginning of a negotiation, it’s always better if you find your common ground and shared values with your counterpart,” he said.
“But my first step in any negotiation is to be prepared, to be competent, to be on top of the knowledge of the issues.”
But for Mr Barnier, every negotiation begins and ends with the same crucial component.
“If there is one lesson to be had, it is the importance of respect. To remain respectful to your counterpart – to everyone on either side – always.”
2024 Rodney Wylie Eminent Visiting Fellowship Lecture Series
Gain first-hand insights into Mr Barnier’s role as the former European Chief Negotiator for Brexit by registering to attend his talks as part of the 2024 Rodney Wylie Eminent Visiting Fellowship Lecture Series, or in his book My Secret Brexit Diary: A Glorious Illusion.
Image credits:
- Thierry Monasse / Corbis via Getty Images
- Leon Neal / Getty Images
- Jack Taylor / Getty Images
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