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As a close aide to Michel Barnier, Stefaan De Rynck had a front row seat in the Brexit negotiations. In this frank and uncompromising account, De Rynck tells the EU’s side of the story and seeks to dispel some of the myths and spin that have become indelibly linked to the Brexit process. From the mood in the room to the technical discussions, he gives an unvarnished account of the deliberations and obstacles that shaped the final deal.
De Rynck demonstrates how the EU-27’s unity held firm throughout, while the UK vacillated, changed negotiators, changed prime ministers and changed their aims and tactics. Attempts by the UK to run down the clock and issue ultimatums to force the EU to acquiesce are shown to have had no effect on the course of events. Instead Barnier’s team was successful in protecting EU interests, in fulfilling the mandate defined by 27 national governments while still agreeing different forms of Brexit with two UK prime ministers.
For the EU, Brexit was not, as some UK commentators and politicians liked to portray it, a fight with the UK. It was a fight to get a deal that worked for the EU.
An insider account of how the EU dealt with Brexit by one of the close aides of Michel Barnier, the EU’s former chief negotiator. Without descending into triumphalism, the book shows how the EU achieved all its main strategic objectives — while the British side played a weak hand badly.
— Gideon Rachman, Financial Times, BEST SUMMER BOOKS 2023
This EU insider’s account reveals how British politicians were outclassed… many reporters came to know De Rynck as a straight-talking, trusted source who could explain the technical issues at the heart of the negotiations. There is plenty of fascinating detail here for students of Brussels statecraft.
— Simon Nixon, The Times
The Brexit you’ll never hear about from a British negotiator. An important book.
— Robert Peston, ITV Political Editor
De Rynck writes with the fierce and exhausted pride of a member of a crack team of surgeons who have just successfully carried out a highly complex operation for the very first time.
A compelling behind-the-scenes view, shedding light on the challenges and complexities that both sides faced. Readers are taken on a rollercoaster ride through the bumpy four-year negotiation period… De Rynck aptly portrays policy-makers' manoeuvres and complements their perspectives with media voices and the wider public perceptions. The book stands as a testimony to the broader dynamics that informed the negotiations.
— International Affairs
A book as good as this could only have been written by someone on the inside – and with the impressive breadth and depth of knowledge as Stefaan De Rynck. It is as illuminating as it is fascinating. Reading it not only makes for better understanding of Brexit but of the EU itself and – dare I say – of the post-Brexit UK.
— Katy Hayward, Professor of Political Sociology, Queen’s University Belfast
Stefaan De Rynck had a ringside seat for all the twists and turns of Britain’s departure from the European Union. This insightful book provides important insights into Brexit from a European perspective – and explains how and why we got to where we are today.
— Oliver Wright, Policy Editor, The Times
A piercing analysis of the UK's historic decision to leave the EU, De Rynck’s masterful overview may make difficult reading for some in Britain but it offers hope that the two sides can take a more constructive approach going forward.
— Pippa Crerar, Political Editor, The Guardian
A substantial and very welcome addition to the literature... no one is better placed to write about the realities of the Brexit negotiations from an EU standpoint... It gets to the heart of the dynamics and the personalities involved on both sides of the negotiations... strikes the right balance between detail and readability... This is a book which deserves to be widely read and to reach beyond the usual academic and policy/practitioner circles. If you are interested in Brexit, the future of the EU, or global governance more generally, you should read it. It is one of those rare tomes that is a genuine, first attempt to write history. De Rynck should be commended for providing future historians with some fascinating material!
— Nicholas Startin, Global Governance Institute
An accurate and true insight into the machinations of Brexit, our role as negotiators and our efforts to bring the deal over the line.
— Michel Barnier, former chief EU Brexit negotiator
A valuable account… well worth a read because the narrative is so revealing of the EU’s mindset during these crucial years.
— Lord Frost, The House
An insider’s account of an arduous process… its message: unpreparedness has grave consequences in politics.
— Business Post
Stefaan De Rynck was a senior advisor to Michel Barnier, the Brexit Negotiator for the European Union. He has worked as an EU civil servant on financial regulation, the single market, transport policy, sustainable urban development and on EU Treaty changes. He has a PhD in political and social sciences from the European University Institute in Florence and teaches at the Public Governance Institute of the University of Leuven in Belgium.
Foreword by Peter Foster
Chronology
Introduction
Part I: Uniting the EU (June 2016–December 2017)
1. No negotiation without notification
2. More glue for uniting the EU
3. Brexit bill: show EU the money
4. Protecting citizens’ rights: which rights, which citizens?
Q. How do we explain the unity of the EU?
Part II: On the elusive search for a bespoke relationship (July 2016–November 2018)
5. The transition period (aka “a vassal state”)
6. The Barnier staircase from Norway to Canada: it is cold outside of the EU
7. Theresa May wants a common rulebook on UK terms
8. The Salzburg summit, sound but no music
Q. Was Mutti Merkel tougher than the rest?
Part III: On the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland (June 2017–December 2020)
9. The origins of the backstop
10. Theresa May’s Pyrrhic victory
11. Boris Johnson meets Brexit reality
12. Johnson agrees to customs checks in the Irish Sea
Q. Did the EU fail to understand Northern Ireland?
Part IV: The journey towards the meaning of Brexit (2020– )
13. The UK leaving global Europe: strategic myopia by the EU?
14. The rollercoaster ride to a level playing field
15. Frosty negotiations on a new relationship
Q. On the art of the deal?
Conclusion