Jean-Claude Juncker – scheidend maar nog regerend EC-voorzitter – was gisteren gastheer van Boris – Brexit – Johnson. De EU op zijn slechtst.

Het is ironisch dat de verhoudingen dusdanig scheef zijn gegroeid dat ik dit redelijke verslag uit de Turkse Daily Sabah plukte. Als andere bronnen er al melding van maakten kon je de vooringenomenheid er als tonnen guano op een rots in zee van af scheppen.

Their meeting, at a restaurant in Juncker’s native Luxembourg, is the first since Johnson took over in July. It comes ahead of a summit of EU leaders next month, at which the British premier hopes to strike a new Brexit deal with the European Union. Johnson insists the country must leave the EU on Oct. 31, with or without a divorce deal to smooth the way.

Na afloop was er zoals gebruikelijk een persconferentie, met de premier van Luxemburg. Alleen die verliep niet bepaald als gebruikelijk – wat in het geval van de EU duidt op extreme verstoordheid van haar Regenten. Wat plaats vond was eigenlijk tamelijk schandalig:

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to abandon a press conference with his his counterpart in Luxembourg because a crowd of “anti-Brexit protesters” were being too loud and disruptive. In what looks like a deliberate setup organized by Brussels, Johnson was scheduled to deliver a statement outdoors alongside Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel. But when it came time for the press conference to begin, Johnson complained that the protesters would likely drown out his statement, and asked that the statement be moved in doors.

En? Werd er voldaan aan dit volstrekt redelijke verzoek?

Instead of accommodating his host, Bettel refused his request, prompting Johnson to pull out of the statement. Bettel decided to continue, and with Johnson’s podium sitting empty next to him, he criticized Johnson in front of a small crowd of anti-Brexit ideologues, saying the Brexit process had turned into a “nightmare,” and that the UK had failed to present workable alternatives to Theresa May’s deal (though Johnson has definitely presented a clear vision of the concessions he needs from the EU to make the deal passable in Parliament), according to CNN.

Bettel ging eenvoudig berserk.

“He holds the future of all UK citizens,” said an impassioned Bettel, gesturing at the empty podium by his side. “It’s his responsibility. Your people, our people count on you.”

As Bettel spoke, the small but noisy crowd, many of whom were British nationals living in Luxembourg, clapped and cheered.

At one point, Bettel accused Johnson and his Brexiteer backers of holding Europe’s future hostage.

Bettel went on to say that Brexit was not the choice of the EU but that of the UK’s Conservative government. “You can’t hold our future hostage for party political gains,” he said, adding: “I repeat this Brexit is not my choice.”

Hóógst ongebruikelijk. Wie nog dacht dat iemand van het Remain-kamp ergens een troefaas in de mouw heeft, vergeet niet dat tijdig aan de premier van Luxemburg (vergelijkbaar met een soort wethouder van de stad Utrecht) dor te geven – dan kan de man zich alsnog excuseren.

Hosts generally go out of their way to make visiting leaders feel welcome. Instead, Bettel deliberately embarrassed Johnson by refusing the UK government’s request to move the press conference venue, and then criticizing him to a crowd of anti-Brexit demonstrators.
It’s also surprising that officials would be able to attract a “crowd” of anti-Brexit protesters and British nationals in Luxembourg. It’s certainly possible that these demonstrators were acting as professional political props.

Nota bene: de stad Luxemburg heeft ongeveer omvang en inwonertal van Maastricht. De bijeenkomst met Juncker werd doro Johnson ‘constructief’ genoemd. Maar wel merkte hij op, dat:

Johnson also said he used the meeting to reiterate that he will not ask for an extension of Article 50 on Oct. 31 if a no-deal exit becomes unavoidable without a delay. Both sides agreed that they would need to up the pace of talks, to the point where discussions are happening every day.

Juncker voegde daarop later tijens een persconferentie op zijn bekende janktoon aan toe:

A deal to ensure a smooth British exit from the European Union is still possible but the risk of a no-deal is also “very real,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Wednesday. There is very little time left…The risk of a no-deal is very real,”

Pessimisme alom bij de EU-leiders. Ze hebben de hop opgegeven dat het Britse parlement nog een effectieve blokkade van Johnson zal weten te vinden.

Finland’s minister for European affairs, Tytti Tuppurainen, who also spoke in the parliament, saying a no-deal Brexit “is a quite likely outcome.” Finland currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency.

Je bent geneigd nu vol vertrouwen te zeggen: dat gaat beter dan we van onze staatsomroep horen. Het gekef van die Luxemburgse premier ging echt alle perken te buiten.

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Over Brexit schreven we eerder al aardig wat. Dat vindt u hier.