Why Starmer is Cosying Up to Germany and France

Summary

The video discusses Keir Starmer's approach to UK-EU relations, focusing on his attempts to reset ties after Brexit. Starmer aims for agreements in security, professional qualifications, and trade facilitation. However, the EU's response includes eight demands, with contentious points on mobility and fisheries access. Starmer's strategy involves bilateral talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron to gain leverage in negotiations. Despite challenges, including domestic unpopularity for Scholz and Macron, Starmer seeks to move beyond Brexit and rebuild a cooperative relationship with the EU.

Takeaways

• 🇬🇧 The UK's relationship with the EU has been strained under previous Conservative governments led by Theresa May and Boris Johnson.
• 🔄 Keir Starmer aims to reset the UK's relationship with the EU, promising a different approach compared to his predecessors.
• 🤝 Starmer seeks agreements in three key areas: security, recognition of professional qualifications, and agreements on veterinary and chemical matters to facilitate trade.
• 🇪🇺 The EU's response to Starmer's advances was not positive, presenting eight demands that the UK must meet before negotiations can begin.
• 🤔 The last two EU demands could be problematic for Starmer, especially concerning a mobility deal and fisheries access, which might reignite Brexit debates.
• 👥 Starmer is using bilateral talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron to gain leverage in broader EU negotiations.
• 🇩🇪 Starmer's discussions with Scholz hint at a desire for a security and defense agreement, possibly similar to the Lancaster House Treaties.
• 🇫🇷 His meeting with Macron is seen as an opportunity to reset relations, though concrete plans for future cooperation with France are less clear.
• 🤷‍♂️ There is skepticism about whether Starmer's strategy of aligning with Scholz and Macron will be effective, given their current domestic political challenges.
• 🤝 Historical precedent suggests that trying to secure EU concessions via Germany or France has not always been successful for the UK.

Q & A

What was the relationship between the UK and the EU like before Starmer's election?

Prior to Starmer's election, the UK Conservative government under Theresa May did not pursue a conciliatory relationship with the EU. The UK made it clear it would not remain inside the single market or the customs union. Under Boris Johnson, the UK pursued a harder Brexit arrangement and tried to renege on the included commitment, which increased frustrations within the EU.

What approach is Starmer taking to reset the UK's relationship with the EU?

Starmer is attempting to reset the relationship by pursuing a harder Brexit arrangement and trying to mend ties via a series of bilaterals with German Chancellor Olaf Schulz and French President Emanuel Macron.

What are the three key areas Starmer wants an agreement with the EU?

Starmer wants an agreement in three key areas: an expansive security agreement, recognition of professional qualifications to facilitate better trade in services, and agreements on veterinary matters and chemicals to smooth out cross-border goods trade.

What were the EU's initial demands before they would begin negotiations with the UK?

The EU responded to Starmer's advances with eight demands, with the first six being relatively easy for the UK to agree to. The final two demands, regarding a mobility deal and fisheries, are likely causing headaches for Starmer.

Why might a mobility deal be problematic for Starmer?

A mobility deal would play badly for the pro-Brexit contingent in the UK and could reignite questions about the single market and customs union.

What is the current agreement regarding EU access to UK waters?

The current agreement allows the EU conditional access to UK waters, which is set to end in 2026. The EU wants this access extended.

What is Starmer's strategy for negotiating with the wider EU?

Starmer is using bilaterals with Schulz and Macron to get the Germans and the French on side, hoping that having the leaders of two powerful EU countries on his side might push the EU leaders into toning down their demands.

What are Starmer's aspirations regarding security and defense with Germany?

Starmer seems to want an agreement similar to the Lancaster House treaties, which would improve the ability of French and British forces to work together and potentially establish shared stewardship of nuclear stockpiles.

Why is Starmer interested in a similar arrangement with Germany despite their military's current state?

Germany has one of the largest defense budgets in Europe and is a key ally of Ukraine, providing material support during Russia's invasion. Starmer's interest aligns with the need for more cooperation between NATO members to counter Russia's influence in Europe.

What is the current political situation for Schulz and Macron that might affect their influence in the EU?

Schulz's power in the EU is waning with declining support for his coalition, and Macron is far from popular at home with a net approval rating around minus 40%. This could limit their influence in EU negotiations.

What are the historical precedents for the UK trying to negotiate better concessions with the EU via Germany or France?

The UK has tried this approach before without success, most notably when David Cameron tried to convince Angela Merkel for more concessions on freedom of movement before the Brexit referendum but was turned down.

What does the script suggest about the future of UK-EU negotiations?

The script suggests that UK-EU negotiations will likely be a long-winded process unfolding over the next few years, with no quick fix to the complex issues at hand.

Outlines

00:00

🇬🇧 UK's Evolving Relationship with the EU

The video discusses the UK's changing approach to its relationship with the EU under different leadership. Initially, the Conservative government led by Theresa May did not pursue a conciliatory relationship, opting out of the single market and customs union. Boris Johnson's tenure saw a harder Brexit approach with attempts to renegotiate existing commitments, leading to EU frustrations. Keir Starmer, coming to power, promised a reset but faced resistance from the EU. He is now focusing on bilateral agreements with Germany and France, aiming for better cooperation in security, trade, and other areas. Starmer's strategy includes seeking agreements on professional qualifications, veterinary matters, and chemicals to facilitate smoother cross-border trade. However, the EU has responded with demands, particularly on mobility and fisheries access, which could be challenging for Starmer to meet without reigniting Brexit debates.

05:01

🤝 Starmer's Bilateral Diplomacy: A New EU Strategy?

Starmer's approach to EU relations involves bilateral meetings with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron. The goal is to gain support from these influential leaders to ease broader EU negotiations. The video suggests that Starmer is looking to establish security and defense agreements, possibly similar to the Lancaster House Treaties, to enhance cooperation and counterbalance Russian influence. While the meetings with Scholz and Macron are seen as positive steps, there are doubts about the effectiveness of this strategy. Scholz's political power is declining, and Macron's popularity is low, which may limit their influence over EU decisions. Historical precedents, such as David Cameron's unsuccessful attempt to negotiate better terms with Angela Merkel, also cast doubt on the likelihood of success. The video concludes that resolving complex UK-EU issues will likely be a lengthy process rather than a quick fix.

Keywords

💡Starmer

Starmer refers to Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the UK's Labour Party. In the context of the video, Starmer is portrayed as a political figure who is attempting to redefine the UK's relationship with the EU post-Brexit. The video discusses his strategies and challenges in this endeavor.

💡Brexit

Brexit refers to the UK's decision to leave the European Union. The video discusses how different UK governments have handled Brexit, with Starmer's approach being a significant departure from his predecessors, aiming for a reset in relations with the EU.

💡EU

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 European countries. The video focuses on the UK's attempts to negotiate a new relationship with the EU, particularly under Starmer's leadership, and the challenges faced in these negotiations.

💡Bilaterals

Bilaterals refer to agreements or negotiations between two parties. In the video, Starmer is described as using bilateral meetings with the leaders of Germany and France to try to ease broader negotiations with the EU.

💡Germany

Germany is a key member of the EU and is mentioned in the video as a country with which Starmer is trying to establish a closer relationship. The video suggests that Starmer aims for a security and defense agreement similar to past treaties.

💡France

France, like Germany, is a significant EU member state. Starmer's bilateral meeting with French President Macron is highlighted in the video as part of his strategy to improve UK-EU relations.

💡Single Market

The Single Market refers to the EU's area in which goods, services, money, and people can move freely. The video indicates that the UK's desire to have a mobility deal, which would allow for easier movement of people, is contentious and relates back to the Single Market debate.

💡Customs Union

A Customs Union is an agreement between countries to apply common tariffs and trade regulations. The video discusses how the UK's stance on the Customs Union has been a point of contention in Brexit negotiations.

💡Veterinary Agreement

A Veterinary Agreement is a type of trade agreement that facilitates the movement of animals and animal products across borders. The video notes that Starmer's government is seeking such an agreement to smooth cross-border trade in goods.

💡Chemicals Agreement

A Chemicals Agreement is a trade agreement that governs the movement of chemical substances across borders. The video mentions that Starmer is interested in such an agreement to facilitate trade in services.

💡Brexiteer

A Brexiteer is someone who supports Brexit. The video suggests that Starmer's attempts to negotiate new agreements with the EU could reignite debates among Brexiteers about the UK's fishing industry and its sovereignty.

Highlights

UK's Conservative government under Theresa May didn't pursue a conciliatory relationship with the EU.

Boris Johnson pursued a harder Brexit arrangement, increasing EU frustrations.

Starmer came to power promising to reset the UK's relationship with the EU.

Starmer faced rebuffs from the EU and is now trying to mend ties through bilateral agreements.

Starmer aims for agreements in security, professional qualifications recognition, and trade facilitation.

The EU responded with eight demands before negotiations could begin.

The final two EU demands are causing headaches for Starmer, including a Mobility deal and Fisheries agreement.

Starmer is using bilaterals with German Chancellor Olaf Schultz and French President Emanuel Macron to negotiate with the EU.

The hope is that support from Germany and France will ease wider EU negotiations.

Starmer's meeting with Schultz focused on moving beyond Brexit to rebuild EU relationships.

Macron sees Starmer's victory as an opportunity for a reset in UK-EU relations.

Starmer seeks security and defense agreements with Germany, similar to the Lancaster House Treaties.

Germany's defense budget and support for Ukraine make it a key ally for the UK.

Starmer's relationship with Macron is less clear, with no substantive plan for future cooperation.

Schulz's power in the EU is declining, which may affect his influence in negotiations.

Macron's popularity is low, which could limit his ability to sway EU decisions.

Previous attempts by the UK to use Germany or France for better EU concessions have not been successful.

UK-EU negotiations are likely to be a long process unfolding over several years.

Brilliant.org is sponsoring the video and offers interactive lessons in various fields.

Transcripts

this video is brought to you by

brilliant prior to starma being elected

to number 10 the conservative government

didn't exactly pursue a conciliatory

relationship with the EU under Theresa

May the UK made clear that it would not

pursue a relationship that saw the UK

remain inside the single Market or the

Customs Union under Boris Johnson the UK

pursued a harder brexit Arrangement and

then constantly tried to Ren on the

included commitment this only increased

frustrations with the wider EU which had

to contend with multiple prime ministers

from the same political party going back

and forward on the details of brexit

unsurprisingly starma came to power

promising to reset this relationship

however after being somewhat rebuffed by

the EU starma is now trying to mend ties

via a series of bilaterals with the

German Chancellor Olaf Schultz and the

French President Emanuel macron so in

this video we'll take a look at why

starma is taking a different approach

and whether it will help him secure

better deal with the

[Music]

EU before we start if you haven't

already please consider subscribing and

ringing the bell to stay in the loop and

be notified when we release new videos

now before we get into the video I just

wanted to point out that this is the

1,000th video on the tldr news UK

Channel having done this for over 6

years now it's been amazing to watch the

growth of the channel and the growth of

the community so thank you all so much

for that so so let's start with a bit of

context we've done a handful of videos

on starmer's plans for UK EU relations

in the past but the tldr is that starma

effectively wants an agreement in three

key areas an expansive security

agreement recognition of professional

qualifications to facilitate better

trade in services and a Veterinary

agreement and an agreement on chemicals

to smooth out crossborder Goods trade

unfortunately for starma the EU didn't

respond all that positively to his

advances responding with eight demands

for the UK to meet before negotiations

could even begin now the first six of

these should be relatively easy for the

UK to agree to It's the final two that

are probably causing headaches for

starma a Mobility deal would play

particularly badly for the pro brexit

contingent in the UK and would reignite

questions about the single market and

Customs Union in terms of Fisheries the

current agreement allows the EU

conditional access to UK Waters although

this is set to come to an end in 2026

the EU wants this extended doing so

though would be a real concession from

starma and risk restarting brexiteer

arguments about the UK fishing industry

having been rebuffed by the EU starm is

now apparently trying a new tactic using

bilaterals with Schulz and macron to get

the Germans and the French on side and

make negotiating with the wider EU

easier The Hope seems to be that by

having the leaders of two powerful

countries in the EU on your side they

might push the EU leaders ERS into

toning down the demands made of the UK

starma has been relatively explicit

about the fact that he sees these

bilaterals as at least EU adjacent in

his meeting with Schultz starma

explained that he hoped to move Beyond

brexit to rebuild relationships with the

EU similarly when starma met macron

recently for a bilateral meeting at

blenham Palace he argued that there was

a new impetus to work with the EU with

macron pointing out that starmer's

victory at the general election in July

was a great opportunity for a reset in

relations so with that in mind let's

have a quick look at how starma aims to

work more closely with Germany and

France in the case of the former starma

seems to want to come to some sort of

agreement on security and defense there

are some suggestions that the aspiration

here is something similar to the

Lancaster house treaties something that

David Cameron was able to agree to back

in 2010 with the French President

Nicholas sarosi essentially this was a

way for French and British forces to

improve Pro their ability to work

together from facilitating joint

disaster Hurricane Relief operations in

the West Indies to coordinating missile

strikes in Syria during the Syrian Civil

War the agreement also established

shared stewardship of each country's

nuclear stockpiles as both are the only

European powers with their own nuclear

weapons and whilst Germany doesn't have

its own nuclear capabilities it makes

sense why starma wants a similar

arrangement with Germany while Germany's

military isn't in great Nick at the

moment has made refurbishing it a

priority since Russia's invasion of

Ukraine as part of his so-called ziton

wender and Germany now has one of the

largest defense budgets in Europe

secondly Germany is a key Ally of

Ukraine and has provided material

support to them during Russia's Invasion

with the second Trump presidency on the

cards more cooperation between

like-minded NATO members that want to

counter Russia's influence in Europe

seems like a reasonable aspiration it's

less clear though how starma aims to

significantly improve his relationship

with macron and France obviously the

bilateral meeting was a good starting

point in and of itself but unlike with

Germany there doesn't seem to be any

substantive plan for the future and it's

at least possible that star's apparent

investment in the UK France relationship

is in part an attempt to get macron on

side for wider changes to UK EU

relations but if this is indeed starm

strategy will it work well there are at

least two reasons to be skeptical for

starters Schultz and 's power in the EU

is waning support for Schultz's

Coalition has declined significantly and

just last week his Social Democrat Party

got Hamed in Regional elections he's now

overwhelmingly likely to be replaced by

Fredrick May's Christian democrats at

the next election similarly macron is

far from popular at home with his net

approval rating currently hovering at

around minus 40% to be able to influence

the EU State leaders need to appear

powerful at home and to put it bluntly

neither Schultz or macron are and

moreover even if macron and Schultz were

powerful within the EU there's a

legitimate question about whether st's

strategy of buddying up to them would

even work when it comes to negotiating

with the EU itself many of the

difficulties and holdups in the types of

agreements that the starma government

wants with the EU such as the veteranary

agreement comes back to questions of the

single Market it's doubtful that the EU

will be convinced that it's in their

interest to agree to this simply because

starma has a closer relationship with

Schultz and macron the UK has also tried

going via Germany or France to get

better concessions out of the EU before

and it didn't go so well most notably

David Cameron tried to convince Merkel

to give him more concessions on freedom

of movement before the brexit referendum

but she turned him down now we're not

saying that this strategy doesn't work

necessarily but history here doesn't

bode well for starma and a quick fix to

the ever thorny issue of UK EU relations

looks unlikely ultimately as often is

the case with the EU negotiations over

the future relationship will probably be

a long-winded process that unfolds over

the next few years with issues like

these it's often hard to come to the

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