Truss congratulated by Zelenskyy and Biden, but a deafening silence from the EU

“You don’t call, you don’t write…” - Brussels greets the new PM with… nothing

Montage © Facts4EU.Org

Facts4EU.Org looks at the portents from the EU for their relationship with Liz Truss

It might have been thought that the new PM of the EU’s second-largest export market would have received a congratulatory call yesterday from Brussels. Not so.

Liz Truss spoke to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and to US President Joe Biden. Perhaps the lines from Brussels were down.

Neither EU Council President Charles Michel, nor EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, nor EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola seem to have picked up the phone. Nor did they make any official statements. Liz Truss might wish to remind the EU of certain facts when they eventually call

Last year (2021) the UK bought €283.5bn of goods from the EU27, making it the EU’s second-largest export market after the United States. With UK exports to the EU being much lower, the EU ended the year with a massive trade surplus with the UK of €136.5bn.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

The EU’s Top 10 export markets for goods, 2021

United States : € 399.7 bn
United Kingdom : € 283.5 bn
China : € 223.6 bn
Switzerland : € 156.5 bn
Russia : € 89.3 bn
Turkey : € 79.3 bn
Japan : € 62.4 bn
Norway : € 56.6 bn
South Korea : € 51.8 bn
India : € 41.8 bn

[Source: EU Commission data from its official statistics agency Eurostat.]

Democratic processes are not Brussels’ long suit

Readers will recall that the German EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was anointed by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2019. She was ‘shoe-horned in’ as a last minute appointee.

Ignoring the agreed (vaguely) democratic procedures, Frau von der Leyen was then presented as the sole candidate to the MEPs in the EU Parliament. So incensed were the MEPs that even with just one candidate on the ballot paper she received only 383 votes – scraping in by just nine votes.

Her tenure as Merkel’s Defence Minister was regarded by much of the German media as being disastrous and she was described as being the worst Minister in Merkel’s Cabinet. Perhaps this is one of the reasons the German Chancellor was happy to offload her onto the EU.

The signs are looking promising for Liz Truss standing up to Brussels

Liz Truss became Prime Minister yesterday, following an audience with Her Majesty the Queen in Balmoral. Prior to this, Ursula von der Leyen had tweeted her congratulations to Ms Truss on winning the ballot, but she accompanied this with a veiled threat.

“Congratulations @trussliz. The EU and the UK are partners.
“We face many challenges together, from climate change to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I look forward to a constructive relationship, in full respect of our agreements.”
Ursula von der Leyen Tweet, 05 Aug 2022

It is the final part of this Tweet which carries the sting. Liz Truss has said she will act on the N.I. Protocol. Having made such statements before, going back to July last year, it remains to be seen whether as Prime Minister Ms Truss really will now act.

Observations

Ms von der Leyen seems to be in no mood to compromise.

Liz Truss’s priority – after appointing the rest of her Ministers – will no doubt be the energy price crisis. Following that we hope she does indeed take action on the N.I. Protocol.

This will be a good indicator of whether she has some ‘Iron Lady’ qualities.

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[ Sources: EU Commission | EU Council | EU Parliament | No.10 ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Wed 07 Sept 2022

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Reader Comments 17

1. terence patrick hewett , Wednesday, September 07, 2022, 05:50:

There is not a product or a service which the EU supplies which cannot be sourced cheaper elsewhere: reduce tariffs and open up the UK economy - the markets will do the rest. No more Treasure Island for the EU - let them compete against the world in the UK and see how they like it.

2. LuxuryBalloon , Wednesday, September 07, 2022, 06:00:

I doubt Truss would have picked up the phone if von der Leyden had called …

3. John Hardman , Wednesday, September 07, 2022, 08:20:

Astonishing article 16 has not been triggered.
Act now to save the UK.
We will be watching.

4. Peter Smith , Wednesday, September 07, 2022, 08:31:

Their sphincters are twitching because Suella Braverman is Home Secretary, I would imagine.

5. Catherine , Wednesday, September 07, 2022, 10:17:

I'm worried about the nature of Prime Minister Truss' action(s) on the NI Protocol.
Von der Leyen clearly forgot that she received four votes from all the Conservative MEPs (at the time). She scraped by with a margin of nine votes.

6. Michael Burnhill , Wednesday, September 07, 2022, 12:55:

Not unexpected as Truss will want to sort out Irish border problem which is the EUs hold over Britain. Leaving the ECHR is the only way we can take back our democracy which I hope Truss will do!

7. Numa , Wednesday, September 07, 2022, 13:46:

Could it have anything to do with the reply when asked if France was a "friend or foe"?
Who knows. I'd expect that a "think tank" would have, you know, thought about this.
Or at the very least, have the self-realisation to even consider it.
Every Thomas, Richard & Harold, who is not voting against their own interest, already has.

8. Diane , Wednesday, September 07, 2022, 13:48:

Now awaiting the renewed tripartite onslaught ! Started already. Too much to expect simple cordiality, a veiled threat indeed and Mr B / USA has, it seems, Day 01, has already stuck in his oar.

9. jon livesey , Wednesday, September 07, 2022, 15:27:

You are missing the significance of that € 283.5 bn number. Some of it represents necessary imports of food and agricultural products. For example, France's biggest export to the UK is Beverages. That's high-tech France, right? Still making money by exporting wine.
But how much of that € 283.5 bn represents pure consumer snobbery? How many people in the UK slam the EU and then can't live without a shiny new German car? How much of the € 283.5 bn represents failure to invest? How many companies in the UK buy high precision German manufacturing equipment by would never think of investing in manufacturing high precision equipment in the UK? Do they think high precision engineering is some sort of "German Thing"?
We have a very high-tech economy, but we are devoting too much of our high-end capabilities towards services, especially financial, which are already very well served, when we could be using automation to revolutionize manufacturing.
We are importing manufactured goods from the EU because that is easier than taking the hard decisions and the risks of developing our own economy.

10. Adam , Wednesday, September 07, 2022, 21:12:

I am surprised Liz Truss would bother with sleepy Joe His attitude towards the UK stinks like Obama's Texas sized chip on His shoulder the ordinary people of the United States are not the enemy the democratic party is, I would give Liz Truss a chance before condemning Her otherwise Remoaner Starmer becomes PM God help us I am a member of the social democratic party

17 comments, page 1 of 2

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