On March 29, after forty years of membership, the British government formally gave notice that it will leave the European Union (EU) in 2019. In a carefully worded, conciliatory letter, the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, told the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, that after separating, the UK hopes for “a deep and special partnership” that involves both economic and security cooperation.
Mrs May made clear that Britain is seeking “a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement … of greater scope and ambition than any such agreement before”. She noted also that the UK wants its withdrawal negotiation to determine, in parallel, a successor partnership agreement, in a manner that minimises disruption and provides “as much certainty as possible for all in Europe and in third countries”.
Since then the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, the EU 27’s de facto political leader, mindful of the