Minister-President Bourgeois chooses “no Brexit” over hard Brexit

“The ideal scenario is a no Brexit.” Flemish Minister-President Geert Bourgeois reacts to the rejection of the Brexit deal on Tuesday evening by the British House of Commons. As a result of that rejection, the EU and the UK are heading for the worst case scenario of a hard Brexit. Nevertheless, Geert Bourgeois continues to hope that reason will prevail. “I repeat and hope that the UK can still turn away from the disastrous Brexit,” the Minister-President says. A hard Brexit can cost Flanders up to 28,000 jobs.

Great uncertainty

The rejection of the Brexit deal by the British increases uncertainty. A “no deal” means no transition period, no accommodation for the Irish border question and the transformation of the UK into a standard third country in its relations with the EU. The latter is unthinkable for Geert Bourgeois: “Even with Turkey, we have a customs union.”

Specifically, a no deal means:

• Extremely disastrous consequences for Flanders. The KULeuven has calculated that it is possible that 28,000 jobs will be lost. According to our own research department, the impact on GDP The gross domestic product (GDP) is the total monetary value of all goods and services produced within a country, both by companies and the government. This term is usually used as a benchmark for a country’s prosperity. This is why the N-VA closely follows the evolution of the Belgian GDP. GDP will be -2.6%.
• Trade will fall back onto commitments in the framework of the World Trade Organization.
• The free movement of people will expire on 29 March at midnight.
• Road transport, maritime transport and aviation risk being thrown into chaos as a result of the elimination of the EU rules and agreements in the matter.
• Students and researchers will no longer enjoy the advantageous access to the British academic sector and vice versa.
• There will be a shortfall in the EU budget with possible consequences for the existing funds.

No Brexit

Flemish Minister-President Geert Bourgeois doesn’t want that scenario to happen. “Flanders is therefore calling for a sense of responsibility. It is unthinkable that the relations between the EU and the UK would be governed entirely by the rules for third countries. There are now several different possibilities: the ideal scenario is a no Brexit. In the absence of that, at the very least, a different agreement must be sought quickly.”