In an interview, the British ambassador in Luxembourg talks about Brexit, Scotland’s aspirations for independence and the vaccine dispute with the EU.
Morgan KUNTZMANN
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With the agreement, the EU and the UK opened a new chapter in their relationship. In an interview, the British ambassador to Luxembourg, John Marshall, speaks about Brexit, Scotland’s aspirations for independence and the vaccine dispute with the EU.
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John Marshall, shortly after the Brexit agreement was signed, the UK coronavirus mutation swept the UK, resulting in severe travel restrictions for UK citizens. How is the situation?
Obviously, the travel restrictions imposed by our own and other governments are having an impact on people’s daily lives. We all had to get used to the fact that we have to live our lives differently. This of course has an impact on the flight schedule between Great Britain and Luxembourg. But the flights go on. So those who have to return for vital reasons have the opportunity. As for the community here, I feel that people fully understand the reasons for these limitations.
Can you explain why the Erasmus student program didn’t make it into the Brexit deal?
Traditionally, more people come to the UK to study than UK students in the EU. We went into negotiations openly. The decision to no longer participate in the Erasmus program was essentially about the cost-benefit ratio. The feeling was that for the net amount that we spend on Erasmus, we could set up our own program that would be global, not just Europe. The British government will set up a new “Turing Program” named after the famous British mathematician Alan Turing. This is to replace the Erasmus program from September 2021 and not only be limited to Europe, but also the rest of the world. British students can also go to study in the USA or Australia.
Will it be mutual and will allow students from other countries to study in the UK or just one way?
As part of the Turing program, we will give our students the opportunity to study abroad. We expect foreign universities or countries to fund their students to bring them to the UK. It remains to be seen whether this could in some cases take place under bilateral agreements between universities or governments.
We are now a year after Brexit. How is the UK doing?
Industry sees supply chains facing an acid test in a dramatic way – an easing is only expected in the middle of the year.
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For the first eleven months of this period, we were still subject to EU law. During this transitional period we negotiated a new agreement with the EU that regulates our future relations. The agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the EU was finally agreed on December 24th. We are happy that Brexit came to a successful conclusion. Even if it was a last-minute deal, it is an agreement that both sides can be happy with. This treaty protects both the UK and the EU. The red lines established by both sides for the EU, the integrity of the internal market and for the UK the shift back of sovereignty over British law have been respected. Since the transition period ended on December 31, we have been living with the new rules for a month. Of course, the situation at the borders was made even more difficult by Corona. Every truck driver must present a negative corona test before entering the ferry. Under these circumstances, I think it is a good thing that the flow of goods could be maintained. The overall volume was lower than expected in early January, but it has more or less returned to normal. There were teething problems, but the overall situation at the borders will soon calm down, I’m sure of that.
Fleur Thomas will take over the post of ambassador in Luxembourg in April.
UK Foreign Office
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Didn’t Brexit and the British government’s crisis management in the Corona crisis strengthen Scottish independence aspirations?
The ruling party in Scotland is the Scottish National Party (SNP). It is clear that they want to make sure that the issue of the independence of the part of the country is on the agenda. This issue is not on the agenda for the UK government. We have other priorities like the Covid pandemic that we have to deal with. The question of Scottish independence was only discussed in a referendum six years ago. It should be a kind of referendum that only takes place once per generation. Our priority is to address the immediate problems we have across the UK. Two weeks ago, Great Britain did not grant the EU ambassador in London full diplomatic status on the grounds that the EU was not a nation-state.
Last Friday, EU Commission President von der Leyen sparked outrage in London when she tried to block vaccine exports across the Irish border with the emergency clause. Is this the new normal?
The EU Commission is coming under increasing pressure with regard to vaccinations.
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The question of the status of the EU is the subject of ongoing discussion. Contrary to the way it has been reported in some media, the question of the diplomatic privileges of the EU ambassador is not a reaction to Brexit. Our longstanding position is that the EU is an international organization. This view existed long before the Brexit referendum. About the events of last Friday. The EU Commission has obviously recognized that it has made a mistake and corrected it on the same day. We have asked the Commission for assurances and have received them. The transparency mechanism will not affect shipments of the vaccine to the UK. We do not want restrictions on the cross-border delivery of vaccines or other goods that are important to fighting the pandemic. We need international cooperation against the pandemic. That should be the top priority.
With Brexit, the UK wants to redefine its role in the world. What role could Luxembourg play in a “Global Britain” strategy?
My view is that we have always been global, we are a permanent member of the UN Security Council and we have one of the largest diplomatic networks in the world. Luxembourg will always be an ally of ours. We are like minded. The Grand Duchy and the United Kingdom share the same ambitions when it comes to climate change. It is always useful to have an ally with the same ambitions within the EU. We can also work together in other areas such as development aid. In the short term, I hope that Luxembourg will be elected to the UN Human Rights Council in October and given a two-year seat. There we could work closely together as the UK was re-elected to the Human Rights Council late last year.
The UK will hold the G-7 presidency this year. What will be the main topics at the June summit?
Global health is a key priority. The global community must position itself in such a way that it can better deal with pandemics in the future. Another aspect will be the reconstruction and recovery of the global economy. In addition, it is important that states achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement in order to curb climate change. We have to commit the major CO2 emitters like China and the US to net zero emissions targets by 2050.
Joe Biden is the new President of the United States. How does this affect Britain’s role in the world?
Northern Ireland has temporarily withdrawn Brexit controllers from its ports out of concern for the safety of customs officials.
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There was already good news from the new US administration, such as the promise to make climate protection a priority. We are delighted with the commitment to NATO as the foundation of transatlantic security and the fact that we can also look forward to an active and constructive role for the US in organizations such as the WorldHealth Organization, which are clearly crucial right now. One of the great challenges we all face around the world is the issue of fair access to vaccines. Great Britain has put a lot of effort and expense into shaping COVAX. This organization aims to ensure equal and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide to ensure that people in all parts of the world have access regardless of their financial situation. We hope that the US will now get involved in this area too.
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