In August 2016, two months after the #Brexit referendum, @n_roettgen, Paul Tucker, André Sapir, @GuntramWolff and I proposed a template for a « continental partnership » between the EU and the UK (thread)
https://www.bruegel.org/2016/08/europe-after-brexit-a-proposal-for-a-continental-partnership/#.X-hNpOkWtUU.twitter

The deal reached on 24/12 is a damage limitation agreement, not a partnership agreement. It will inevitably destroy prosperity on both sides of the Channel. But it is the best that could be hoped for at this stage and certainly much better than the no-deal option.

We thought both sides could have aimed for more. But the UK side never demonstrated a capacity to think strategically, clarify its own goals and commit to anything. Theresa May was right with her motto: amidst political turmoil, there was never more than « Brexit means Brexit ».

Add Trump, add Corbyn and add the Remainer’s false hope that they could win a second referendum: There was really no possibility for a serious conversation on a creative concept for a partnership.

The EU side was not ready for such a conversation either. Throughout the Brexit saga it has been remarkably consistent, united and reluctant to creative thinking. Two obsessions dominated its stance: The fear of division and the fear of creating a precedent for future exits.

In retrospect @MichelBarnier was right: absent a real partner one could trust, stubborn inflexibility was the best available option. We thought Brexit could be an opportunity to redefine European arrangements beyond the EU borders. In fact this opportunity never materialised. END