No, I am not referring to the film with Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant. I am referring to the two weeks Mr. Michael Barnier has given the United Kingdom to either determine their key issues for Brexit talks or make concessions. Two weeks sounds a little harsh and demanding if you think about it but from Mr. Barnier’s side he just wants to develop a plan for Ireland. He wants to be as prepared as possible when the European Council meeting takes place in December.
So what does this actually mean? Has there actually been any progress made? The overall answer is yes, progress has been made regarding this particular situation between Britain and Ireland. “The Brexit secretary insisted good progress was being made across the board, and that the negotiations had narrowed to a ‘few outstanding, albeit important, issues’” (BBC, 2017). However, those important issues that have yet to be resolved have everything to do with borders and the citizens who would like to remain after Brexit as well as financials owed.
Financials owed has everything to do with being a member of the European Union (EU) and now leaving. The EU is not looking for a specific number to be determined in this December meeting however they would like a little clarity on what Britain would be willing to pay. I mean, they were a member and technically they still need to pay their dues – it only seems fair, right? This will be yet another topic of discussion in December.
Through all of this, the UK’s Prime Minister, Theresa May, has been handling the pressure of deadlines, timetables, governing and decisions fairly well, especially when it comes to cultural synergy. Cultural synergy “is a dynamic approach to managing cultural diversity in a variety of contexts” (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014). Considering she is dealing with a mere 51.9% majority vote for Brexit when she originally was against it – I’d say she’s doing just fine.
With the pressure of these two weeks to make some major progress on huge decisions it seems as though the UK, the EU, and the rest of the world might know a little more about Brexit after the December meeting. With that said, Prime Minister Theresa May is ready to give her two weeks’ notice to the EU a little early as she “announced she wanted the date the UK leaves the EU – 29 March 2019 – enshrined in law” (BBC, 2017). This means business.
Resources
BBC News. (10 November 2017). Brexit Bill: Barnier gives UK two weeks to clarify key issues. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-41941414
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.
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