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If this had been a normal trade agreement, removing existing barriers, the EU would be rightly slapping itself on the back for the big win. But it’s all about mitigating losses. So no triumphalism; but it should still be seen as a negotiating triumph. > https://twitter.com/jeffreygruder/status/1342558877460688900
As far as I can see from initial analyses, the EU has defended its interests to a remarkable degree. It’s very lucky to be dealing with a partner that (a) needs to present it as a defeat for the EU, (b) has a compliant press. This absolutely suits the EU’s interests. >
It’s like a robin hood heist movie where they rip off a villain who can’t go to the police because he would incriminate himself. Johnson has to sell the deal as a massive win, & as defeat for the EU, because he didn’t want a deal he wanted to win a war. >
Johnson needs to set the propaganda machine churning out victory stories. This suits the EU just fine, because what matters to them is keeping its member states happy. They will read the deal and come to their own views, regardless of anything the UK press has to say. >
TLDR: the EU was always going to run rings around a weaker and more needy UK, but it has been massively helped by the UK’s political need for a victory to wave and by its toxic symbiosis between politicians and press.
