After 4 and a half years of the long series "Brexit"

Britain outside the European Union ... and Johnson hails "a wonderful moment"

Boris Johnson during the signing of the trade agreement with the European Union.

Reuters

The United Kingdom has finally left the European Union, after four and a half years of the long and transformed "Brexit" series, and yesterday it opened a new page in its history amid a great crisis in the country.

After half a century of integration into the European Union, and at midnight Thursday, Friday in Brussels, and on the impact of Big Ben, "Brexit" became a reality in full effect, after Britain formally left the European Union on January 31, but it adopted a transitional phase to mitigate the consequences of this. the decision.

From January 1, the country will no longer enforce EU rules.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson considered, at dawn yesterday, that the Kingdom's exit from the European single market constitutes a "wonderful moment", stressing that his country will be "open, generous and open to the outside."

"It is a wonderful moment," he said in his speech on the occasion of the New Year.

Our freedom is in our hands, and it is up to us to make the most of it. ”

In an editorial published in the "Daily Telegraph", Johnson affirmed that 2021 will be "a year of change and hope", praising the free exchange agreement that was concluded with Brussels before Christmas.

"For us, this means the end of the malevolent disputes over Europe that poisoned our politics long ago," Johnson said, adding, "For our friends, this certainly does not mean that they lost us."

Johnson promised his countrymen a stronger position in the world to Britain, as a pioneer in free exchange.

For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron, in his speech to the French on the occasion of the New Year, said that the United Kingdom remains "our friend and our ally" despite its exit from the Union.

He said, "This Brexit was the fruit of European restlessness and a lot of lies and false promises," affirming regarding France that "our fate is European first."

Since the referendum of June 23, 2016, which was won by supporters of withdrawal from the European Union by 51.9%, three prime ministers have succeeded in ruling the United Kingdom, and there have been stormy and long parliamentary debates, while the withdrawal date has been postponed three times.

Because of this arduous process, the difficult negotiations for a free trade agreement between London and Brussels were not completed until Christmas Eve.

Although the British representatives approved the text on Wednesday, European representatives will not approve it until the first quarter of 2021, which currently requires temporary implementation.

The French Minister of State for European Affairs, Clément Bonn, said in a statement to the French network LCA, “It is a country leaving the European Union for the first time in more than 45 years of coexistence (...), but we must look to the future” despite this day "Sad."

The agreement provides Britain with access to the vast European market of 450 million consumers, without customs duties or quotas, but the European Union reserves the right to impose sanctions and demand compensation to avoid any unfair competition in the event that its rules in the areas of government aid, the environment, the right to work, and taxes are not respected. .

Despite his criticism of the trade agreement, which he considered insufficient, the head of the opposition Labor Party, Keir Starmer, expressed his optimism, saying that "our better years are coming."

The conclusion of the agreement and the approval of the British Parliament constituted a victory for Johnson, who won the elections after promising to complete "Brexit", but is facing great difficulties since the spread of the "Covid-19" pandemic.

In addition to the pandemic, Johnson's government faces other formidable challenges, as it will soon lose a great ally with the end of President Donald Trump's term in the United States, and he is a great supporter of "Brexit" to be replaced by Democrat Joe Biden, who is closer to the European Union.

Internally, Johnson should unify the ranks of the British who were divided over "Brexit" as the country's unity rifted, as Northern Ireland and Scotland voted against leaving the European Union and dreamed of independence.

Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news