An anti-Brexit demonstrator holds British and European flags during a protest in front of the European Parliament, in Brussels, on Jan. 30, 2020.At the stroke of midnight in Brussels on Friday, Britain will leave the European Union and Prime Minister Boris Johnson will deliver on his election promise to “Get Brexit Done.”
Britain takes a historic leap into an uncertain future with Brexit this week, which will expose internal divisions that put the United Kingdom at risk.EU Brexit adviser Stefaan De Rynck said this week that a cliff edge “remains a distinct possibility” because finding common ground by Dec. 31 will be harder than agreeing divorce terms as the two sides did in October, more than three years after Britons voted to leave the bloc in a referendum.
The EU says it will not seal a trade deal with a large, economically powerful neighbour without solid provisions to guarantee fair competition.Its demands will focus on “level playing-field” issues – environmental and labour standards, as well as state aid rules – to ensure Britain would not be able to offer products on the bloc’s single market at unfairly low prices.
But one of the biggest hazards on the road to a deal will be fishing rights, sparring over which has already begun.