Reflections from the European Parliament by Terry Reintke, MEP
It has been more than a year now since we had to say goodbye to our UK colleagues in the European Parliament. We sang “Auld Lang Syne” together and tried to look ahead as the damaging decision for the UK to leave the EU was finalised.
By now, the transition period is over. We are still in the middle of a global pandemic and a deal for the future relations has been presented – after difficult negotiations that were too limited in time to actually tackle all areas. The outcome is being scrutinised by the European Parliament. Many committees have given their green light, although numerous criticism has been voiced.
First and foremost, the European Parliament will fight for a stronger democratic engagement in the governance of the treaty, both of the Parliament itself as the only directly elected institution and thus representation of EU citizens as well as of civil cavity organisations to have a strong voice in the bumpy road ahead.
Brexit is far from being over
The question that arises in the next months and years will become more and more complex and potentially difficult to solve – as the UK will potentially more and more diverge from EU standards. What was established as a solution to this – non-regression and the newly established rebalancing mechanism – will have to be tested in practice. In a lot of ways, this deal is more far reaching than any other deal the EU has ever negotiated and will become a reference point in future trade negotiations. However, this also means, that these new mechanisms and ideas have never been used before. With the transition period, a lot of uncertainty ended only to be replaced by new one.
The fact that the adhesion of both sides to the European Convention of Human Rights was celebrated as a great success, speaks volumes about where we stand in the struggle for rule of law and fundamental rights. There is an authoritarian wave blowing over Europe. Governments – in the EU, but also the one in the UK – trying to restrict fundamental freedoms and basic structures of checks and balances. As European citizens, we have to work together to stand up to this threat. A strong multilateral rules-based system and a European Union that stands up for democracy are good foundations for this. Nevertheless, it will take all of us – in the Parliaments and in the streets – to defend our democracies, the rule of law and fundamental rights.
Terry Reintke in the European Parliament. Photo: The European Parliament
Overall, this deal is obviously much worse than the deal the UK had before. It means bureaucracy, a multitude of additional committees, the loss of rights, freedom and many opportunities coming from EU membership. Most prominently felt perhaps by the thousands of students and young adults who no longer can participate in the Erasmus exchange programme.
Looking into the future, the European Parliament is going to stay open and ready for UK citizens. We have seen the rise of the biggest pro-European citizen’s movement in the UK over the past years. We will do everything we can to keep the ties with our counterparts on the other side of the channel. We are planning networking events, exchanges with citizens, civil society organisations and obviously building strong ties in political fields where our cooperation will remain crucial such as climate policies, foreign and security policy and so many more.
Our door will stay open. We will continue to support all the people in the UK who will struggle in the coming days and years, but who also will fight with all their heart for a strong Europe with the United Kingdom as a part of it.
Terry Reintke is vice-president of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, co-president of the LGBTI Intergroup and founder of the EU-UK Friendship Group. Terry studied political science in Berlin and Edinburgh. She was spokesperson of the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) before entering the European Parliament in 2014.
Cover photo: Cornelius Gollhardt
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