BRUSSELS, June 22 — The European Union is waiting to see how Andy Burnham, the new leader, will approach the EU-UK relationship, as the European Commission has postponed the second post-Brexit EU-UK summit that was scheduled for July 22. The mechanics here are that the summit would have involved the outgoing prime minister, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the European Council President António Costa, but with a new leader in place, the Commission is reassessing the encounter.
The catch is that the EU was looking forward to building on the progress made with Keir Starmer, who had been working to overturn years of Conservative-driven Brexit turmoil and reset the EU-UK relationship.
Senior EU figures were quick to praise Starmer’s legacy, with von der Leyen paying tribute to him for bolstering European security, saying “it can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years.” But the EU is now faced with an unknown quantity in Burnham, and it remains to be seen how he will approach the relationship. Follow the money, and it becomes clear that the EU is cautious about committing to a summit with a new leader who may have different priorities.
Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said that both Brussels and London were looking into “the opportunity of still holding the summit… and we will take it from here.” This suggests that the EU is taking a wait-and-see approach, and will not rush into any decisions until it has a better understanding of Burnham’s position.
One EU diplomat expressed disappointment at the postponement, saying “I fully understand that you’re not going to have a summit with a lame duck prime minister, but postponing the summit isn’t ideal.” On closer reading, it becomes clear that the diplomat is concerned that the postponement may hinder the progress that had been made in building a more pragmatic relationship between the EU and the UK.
The diplomat noted that “for a while now we’ve been diligently working with the UK, and actually quite constructively, on having a more pragmatic relationship.” But the question remains as to whether Burnham will continue this approach. A sharp rise in expectations is likely if Burnham commands the broad support of the Labour parliamentary party, as this could lead to a more significant shift in the EU-UK relationship.
Von der Leyen’s praise for Starmer suggests that the EU values a strong and stable partner, and if Burnham can provide that, then the EU may be willing to move forward with the summit and other initiatives. But for now, the EU is waiting to see how Burnham will approach the relationship, and what his priorities will be.
The European Commission’s decision to postpone the summit is a significant development, and it will be important to watch how the situation unfolds in the coming weeks. As the EU waits to see how Burnham will approach the EU-UK relationship, it is clear that the mechanics of the relationship are complex, and that the catch is that the EU is cautious about committing to any new initiatives until it has a better understanding of Burnham’s position.
The EU will be looking to see if Burnham can provide the stability and leadership that is needed to move the relationship forward, and if he can command the broad support of the Labour parliamentary party. Looking ahead, it will be important to watch how Burnham navigates the EU-UK relationship, and whether he can build on the progress that had been made with Starmer.
The EU is likely to be cautious in its approach, and will want to see clear signs that Burnham is committed to a more pragmatic relationship before moving forward with any new initiatives. As the situation continues to unfold, it will be important to follow the developments closely, and to see how the EU and the UK can work together to build a more stable and cooperative relationship.
