After years of arguing, are Britain and Europe about to get along?
The mood is much improved of late
In a parallel universe, Britain and the European Union would be gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its accession to the club in January 1973. Envoys from the EU’s still-28 countries would be steeling themselves for parties at His Majesty’s Brussels embassy flowing with English wines, one of the unspoken hazards of the local diplomatic circuit. The prime minister might have dropped by the European Parliament and tried a few bon mots of mangled French. London tabloids would no doubt have used the occasion to rustle up outrage over an alleged Eurocrat plot to rebrand Cumberland sausages as Britische Frankfurter. Amid all the jollity, a row would have broken out over money.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Small steps”
Europe October 15th 2022
- The war in Ukraine has battered the reputation of Russian spies
- Russia’s terror strikes fail to do much damage to Ukraine
- France’s nuclear reactors will not work as normal any time soon
- Why Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan need each other
- After years of arguing, are Britain and Europe about to get along?
From the October 15th 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Ursula von der Leyen has a new doctrine for handling the hard right
The boss of the European Commission embarks on a second term
Marine Le Pen spooks the bond markets
She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics
The maths of Europe’s military black hole
It needs to spend to defend, but voters may balk
Ukraine’s warriors brace for a Kremlin surge in the south
Vladimir Putin’s war machine is pushing harder and crushing Ukrainian morale
Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats
The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare
A rise in antisemitism puts Europe’s liberal values to the test
The return of Europe’s oldest scourge