Europe's failed experiment in regional cooperation?

• Author: Verhofstadt, Guy
• Position: Interview

Britain's decision to leave the EU jeopardizes the future of the European project. The Journal of International Affairs talked to Guy Verhofstadt, the lead Brexit negotiator for the European Parliament and former prime minister of Belgium, about Britain's departure and the future of Europe.

How long will negotiations with Britain take?

The deadline for Britain leaving the union is very clear in the treaty: two years after the triggering of Article 50. After that date, Britain is automatically out.

During these exit negotiations, only the broader framework for the new relationship should be clear. It could be a free trade agreement, or something more elaborate. But even in the case of a free trade agreement, it will take more than two years.

We will need a transition period between Britain leaving the union and our new relationship. This year, the European Parliament voted for a resolution stipulating that such a transition period should not last longer than three years. So, we have five years to establish a new relationship between Britain and the EU.

London has signaled it might leverage its role in defense and security issues and link it to the Brexit negotiations. Why do you find that unacceptable?

Rendering the safety of citizens subject to political negotiations is simply not acceptable. Britain and Europe are in the middle of a fight against Islamic terrorism that requires close cooperation between our intelligence communities and our police forces. We are talking about people's lives here.

The respect for human life and dignity are shared values that should be upheld at all times. They should never be instrumentalized for political purposes or be conditional on negotiations.

Can a post-Brexit economic downturn in the United Kingdom trigger a new global recession?

Not a global recession, but it is becoming increasingly clear that Brexit is not good for Britain and it is not good for Europe--both economically and geopolitically. We should do everything in our power to mitigate the fallout so that we do not end up with another global or regional recession.

Would other EU members accept Germany as a benevolent hegemon?

The European project is not about hegemons even if they are benevolent. It is exactly the opposite. The European project is about regaining control over the globalized economy by pooling the national sovereignty of 27 member states.

A well-functioning Franco-German axis is important for the European project, I won't deny...