Between Crisis and Cooperation: UK-France Relations after Brexit

Summary:

Relations between the United Kingdom (UK) and France have remained tense since the announcement of the decision to hold the British referendum on EU membership in 2015. The conclusion of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement of December 2020 did not improve them, but the consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine have highlighted the need for cooperation between the two countries.

Despite conciliatory gestures from both sides, relations have remained largely held hostage by internal policies. This is particularly evident in three areas: the regulation of the UK border on the island of Ireland, the issue of mass crossings of migrants across the English Channel to Britain, and the rules of participation of the UK in selected EU programmes. The first summit of the two countries since 2018, scheduled in Paris on 10 March, is intended to improve bilateral relations.

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