After the Brexit rows of the last few days, Donald Tusk—the President of the European Council—has intervened and urged everyone to calm down. ‘These negotiations are difficult enough as they are. If we start arguing before they even begin, they will become impossible. The stakes are too high to let our emotions get out of hand. Because at stake are the daily lives and interests of millions of people on both sides of the Channel. We must keep in mind that in order to succeed, today we need discretion, moderation, mutual respect and a maximum of good will.’
Diplomatically, Tusk has chastised both sides of this dispute. He has called for ‘discretion’ which appears to be a slap at Jean-Claude Juncker and his team for the leaks which followed last week’s Downing Street dinner. But he also calls for ‘moderation’ and not to let ‘emotions get out of hand’ which looks like a dig at Theresa May for her highly-charged statement yesterday accusing the European Commission of interfering in the UK general election.
Tusk is right about the need for calm on both sides. There is a danger that the atmosphere could become so toxic that no one can compromise once the talks actually begin. But it is telling that it is Tusk, the president of the body that represents the interests of the member states, who has delivered this message. British hopes for a sensible Brexit deal rely on the Council reigning in the Commission, which is a more ideologically minded body.
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