Finally, here is the agreement that will allow us to unlock the long-awaited 'phase two' in the Brexit negotiations. A new lightning-fast trip to Brussels by Prime Minister Theresa May was needed, but London and the European Commission signed at dawn a text that Brussels considers "sufficient progress" to start discussing future relations. Even if the difficult starts now, they are warning from the European capital. If it took nine months to negotiate a 15-page text, closing the overall agreement by October 2018, as requested by chief negotiator Michel Barnier, is no small feat. Meanwhile, there is satisfaction with a general agreement on the three priority issues: guaranteeing the rights of European citizens in the United Kingdom and British citizens in the EU, establishing a method for calculating the Brexit 'bill', even without the black-on-white indication of a figure, and to prevent a physical border re-entering Ireland and Ulster. “It was a difficult negotiation, but now we have a first turning point”, rejoices the president of the EU executive Jean-Claude Juncker in a press conference at seven in the morning. “It wasn't easy for both parties - admits May-, we worked hard”. Compared to the starting positions, the text is a compromise that allows both to boast results. On the rights of citizens, for example, the premier has obtained that the British courts have jurisdiction over European citizens in the Kingdom. On the other hand, the Commission has managed to maintain an advisory role for the EU Court of Justice. Even more daring is the formulation for Northern Ireland, on which the agreement had stalled on Monday. The text, in the absence of other solutions, provides that Belfast remains aligned with the single market. Indigestion point for the Northern Irish unionists of the Dup, who hold the May government standing. To defuse the opposition, a clause has been inserted that London will not introduce "any new regulatory barrier" between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. It remains to be seen whether this will mean a permanence of the whole of Great Britain in the single market, as the Scots are clamoring for. In short, May, after the latest difficulties, can boast "a personal success", praises the President of the EU Council Donald Tusk. He appeased the Irish, earned the acclaim of 'hard brexiteers' like Minister Boris Johnson. The deal pleased the markets, with sterling at a six-month high against the euro and stock exchanges rising. Unique disappointed, the greatest advocate of Brexit, Nigel Farage. From abroad, a "positive opinion" came from the Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. Now the clocks are set on December 14-15, when the European Council will sanction the transition to 'phase two'. With the blessing of the Eurochamber, which will approve a resolution of support on the eve of it. The agreement, President Antonio Tajani exults, “is a good basis for the drafting of the future treaty”. The draft with the guidelines for the continuation of the negotiations is ready, developed by the Tusk team. At least until February-March, the talks will mainly serve to define the transitional period requested by London for the immediate post-Brexit. La May wants two years, even if the text does not quantify. Then we will move on to discuss the "framework" of future relations.
