Britain’s decision to leave the EU sent shockwaves crashing throughout the continent. As Europe struggled to interpret the outcome of the referendum, we heard calls for Brussels to drive a hard bargain with the UK in order to contain the ‘Brexit contagion’. The European Council President Donald Tusk’s warning that the UK must not be allowed to ‘profit’ from leaving the bloc summed up this mood. But now, it seems, our neighbours in Europe are coming to terms with Brexit. And with it, the desire to punish the UK appears to be dampening.
Michael Roth, Germany’s European Affairs minister, has this week suggested that a ‘special status’ could be achieved which would take into account Britain’s size and previous commitment to the European project. Crucially, Roth, a junior partner in Angela Merkel’s coalition, went on to say that such a relationship would likely bear ‘limited comparison’ to that of other non-EU states.
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