My Secret Brexit Diary. Michel Barnier
407
422 408
423 409
424 410
425 411
426 412
427 413
428 414
429 415
430 416
431 417
432 418
433 419
434 420
435 421
436 422
437 423
438 424
439 425
440 426
441 427
442 428
443 429
444 430
445 431
446 432
447 433
448 434
449 435
450 436
451 437
452 438
453 439
454 440
455 441
456 442
457 443
458 444
459 445
460 446
461 447
462 448
463 449
464 450
465 451
466 452
467 453
468 454
469 455
470 456
Praise for My Secret Brexit Diary
‘If the treaties are the legal texts of the Brexit talks then this is the human version, revealing a Michel Barnier who is much warmer and far less diplomatic than his public persona. It’s a masterclass in how the EU operates, and a rare glimpse into the tensions on their side.’
– Adam Fleming, Chief Political Correspondent, BBC News
‘For historians writing about the UK’s long and painful exit from the European Union, Michel Barnier’s account is essential reading. For anyone interested in Brexit, it offers a valuable guide to the EU’s negotiating strategy and the people who shaped it.’
– Jennifer Rankin, Brussels Correspondent, The Guardian
‘This is a political thriller: 500 pages of twists and turns, advances and setbacks, taking place behind the scenes in an altogether extraordinary negotiation.’
– Nicolas Demorand, France Inter
‘The former European chief negotiator has delivered his Brexit novel: a unique experience of four and a half years recounted day by day, in the theatre of the powerful with its noble aims and petty squabbles, its backtracking and its bluffs, its laughter and its tears, including very personal ones. And it’s absolutely riveting.’
– Mathieu Laine, Les Échos
‘How did the European Union deal with the challenge of losing a leading member state? In this unique insider’s account, the EU’s chief negotiator reflects on the Brexit process, how it unfolded and how he managed the EU’s approach to the talks. Required reading for everyone interested in figuring out what happened and why.’
– Anand Menon, King’s College, London
‘This book is required reading for anyone seriously interested in the exhausting saga of the Brexit negotiations, and it is good to have an English edition of what is undoubtedly an important historical document.’
– Robert Tombs, University of Cambridge
MY SECRET BREXIT DIARY
A Glorious Illusion
Michel Barnier
Translated by Robin Mackay
polity
Copyright Page
Originally published in French as La Grande Illusion. Journal secret du Brexit (2016–2020) © Éditions GALLIMARD, Paris, 2021
This English edition © Polity Press, 2021
Illustration 12 source: Ingram Pinn, 2018, ‘Taking Back Control’, Financial Times / FT.com. 27 July 2018. Used under licence from the Financial Times. All Rights Reserved.
Polity Press
65 Bridge Street
Cambridge CB2 1UR, UK
Polity Press
101 Station Landing
Suite 300
Medford, MA 02155, USA
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-5086-9 (hardback)
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021943873
by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NL
The publisher has used its best endeavours to ensure that the URLs for external websites referred to in this book are correct and active at the time of going to press. However, the publisher has no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee that a site will remain live or that the content is or will remain appropriate.
Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been overlooked the publisher will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent reprint or edition.
For further information on Polity, visit our website: politybooks.com