Von der Leyen and Starmer stage the commitment to “reinforced cooperation” without concrete announcements

BRUSSELS Oct. 2 () –

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leye, and the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, met this Wednesday in Brussels to stage the commitment to a “reinforced” cooperation between the European Union and the United Kingdom that allows a relationship “stable and positive” that leave behind the disagreements in the first years of Brexit.

Both the European Union and the new British Government have made efforts in recent months to show the will of both parties to “restart” the framework of relations, but closing the door to the renegotiation of the terms of the divorce, so that the expectation of the meeting It focused on seeing what concrete steps the ambition for understanding was translated into.

“I firmly believe that the British public wants to return to pragmatic, sensitive leadership when it comes to dealing with our closest neighbours, making Brexit work and meeting their interests,” Starmer said in a no-questions-asked appearance. together with Von der Leyen, upon their arrival at the headquarters of the European Commission where they met for just over an hour.

“We should explore the possibilities of greater cooperation while we focus on the full and faithful implementation of the Withdrawal Treaty, the Windsor Framework and the Cooperation and Trade Agreement,” said, for her part, the head of the Community Executive, in reference to the divorce pacts and subsequent relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom.

Both in the brief appearance and in the joint statement published after the meeting, Von der Leyen and Starmer have shown the harmony between the two parties on the international scene in their response to the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East, but they have avoided delve into the steps to follow to redesign the ties between the 27 and the old Member State.

Community sources consulted by Europa Press confirm that there is a “new tone” in the dialogue between Brussels and London, but warn that it is only a “first step” and therefore “premature” to know how this turn may materialize in the negotiations. relations.

The statement by Von der Leyen and Starmer – who on his first visit to Brussels also met with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola – also points out the intention to hold a summit EU-United Kingdom “ideally at the beginning of 2025”, but without indicating a place or calendar.