In Brussels, weakened May to offer EU citizens rights

[DonViejo]

Source: Reuters



Thu Jun 22, 2017 | 10:38am EDT

By Elizabeth Piper and Alastair Macdonald | BRUSSELS

British Prime Minister Theresa May said at the start of a European Union summit on Thursday that she would reassure fellow leaders that her government will protect the rights of their citizens living in Britain after its departure from the bloc.

But other leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, made clear that they did not want to get drawn into Brexit discussions and instead preferred to focus on the future of the EU without Britain.

At her first EU summit since a June 8 election sapped her authority to set the terms of Brexit, May said: "I'm going to be setting out some of the UK's plans, particularly on how we propose to protect the rights of EU citizens and UK citizens as we leave the European Union."

She seemed keen to calm the mood with the continentals after weeks of sniping during her election campaign, describing the first formal meeting of Brexit negotiators on Monday as "very constructive" and stressing that London wanted a "special and deep partnership with our friends and allies in Europe". Merkel also expressed a desire for constructive talks with Britain, but made clear that the EU's priority now was its own future.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-idUSKBN19C2ZD?il=0

[bucolic_frolic]

1. I think May is going to prove mostly irrelevant outside Britain

She's damaged goods waiting for the next shipment

[DetlefK]

2. Britain will be a cautionary tale for Russia's ideal of a multi-polar world.

Russia wants a multi-polar world because if each country is on their own, big countries (like Russia) can bully small countries. That's why Russia sees NATO and EU as threats. Because Russia's has some capability to more or less bully countries all over the world, but this capability ends with a sharp cut at the EU-/NATO-border.
Russia prefers a flexible geopolitical sphere of influence. But with Europe, that soft power doesn't work.

Britain's exit from the EU will mean that Britain will play a far, far smaller diplomatic and economic role. Britain will serve as a useful example:
"See? That's what happens to countries who don't join geopolitical alliances!"