MICHEL BARNIER, the French diplomat who will lead the European Unions Brexit negotiations, is keen to project an air of strength and stability. Asked if he is worried that the talks could blow up, he wanders over to his desk and picks up a mug emblazoned with the mantra Keep Calm and Negotiate, declaring: There wont be any drama from my side.
Speaking to eight European newspapers, including The Economist, in his first interview since securing the Brexit job last July, Mr Barnier refuses to be drawn out on the chaos unfolding across the English Channel after last weeks general election, in which the ruling Conservative Party failed to win an overall majority. But he expresses his concern that no talks have taken place in the two-and-a-half months since Theresa May, the Prime Minister, triggered the two-year process for Britains withdrawal under Article 50 of the EU Treaty. We havent negotiated, we havent progressed, he says. Time is passing quicker than anyone believes. On June 12th Mr Barnier met British officials in Brussels for talks about talks, but because of the political uncertainty in Britain, there is still no firm date for the negotiations proper to begin. I need on the other side of the table a British delegation
that is stable, accountable and that has a mandate. Thats my preoccupation.
If Mr Barnier hints at any frustration, it is over the failure of Britains politicians to confront the reality of the choice they put to British voters a year ago. Very few people in charge explained what Brexit meant, he says. Lots of people underestimated [the] consequences. As the aftershocks of the Brexit vote have worked their way through Britain, Mr Barnier has spent the past year travelling across Europe meeting ministers, parliamentarians and businesspeople, listening to concerns and seeking to ensure that the rest of the EU hews to a common line before the talks begin. Weve built [EU unity] together for six months, it wasnt easy, he says. I know itll be challenged. When Mr Barnier was appointed, some European officials doubted whether he possessed the attention to detail which the job requires. But there are few complaints so far. Barnier has been very sure-footed, says one Brussels-based diplomat.
