Working in Brussels, I saw the dark side of the EU

To this day, many Remainers see the vote to leave the EU as an entirely self-inflicted wound. But is that truly the case? Senior European politicians are starting to reflect and acknowledge Europe’s own hand in Brexit – and the damage Brussels may have caused after the referendum result. During my time working in the European Parliament in the Brexit period, for two different Remain-leaning MEPs in the ECR and Renew Europe groups, I saw this darker side of Brussels first hand.

Friedrich Merz, leader of the German CDU, stated this week that he ‘remember[s] that David Cameron asked for changes to EU social policy and came back to London empty-handed. The continental Europeans were not entirely blameless when it comes to Brexit’.

Merz was referring to David Cameron’s attempts to secure reforms in Europe just before the referendum. Looking at those reforms now, they seem remarkably prescient.

Cameron asked for brakes on migration. Europe refused.