Who will blink first?

[NormanH]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8701529/Boris-Johnsons-chief-negotiator-warns-EU-Britain-not-client-state-Brussels.html

"The bullish Brexit rhetoric is part of an attempt by Mr Johnson's No 10

to 're-grip the agenda' after a chaotic summer marked by an endless

series of U-turns on issues such as Covid policy and A-level exam

grades, with Tory backbenchers expressing growing disquiet over the

professionalism of the Prime Minister's Downing Street operation."

As reported in Le Monde

https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2020/09/06/brexit-le-negociateur-britannique-promet-que-le-royaume-uni-ne-sera-pas-un-etat-vassal-de-l-europe_6051155_3210.html

[mint]

All this about being a "vassal" state of Europe is just sheer nonsense.  You wonder sometimes whether the people spouting this sort of rubbish even understand what the word "vassal" means and whether they ever consult a good dictionary before opening their mouths[6]

[woolybanana]

As a staunch Remainer I was disgusted by the result of the referendum, but now am more disgusted by the performance of Monsieur Barnier and his negotiators who have tried in every way to milk Britain of independence and indeed create a vassal state defined as

‘A vassal state is any state that has a mutual obligation to a superior state or empire, in a status similar to that of a vassal in the feudal system in medieval Europe. ... In some cases, the obligation included paying tribute, but a state which does so is better described as a tributary state.‘

I think that UK has to tell them to sod off, stick to her guns. That way the brinkmanship now being indulged in will be replaced by sensible negotiations which one hopes are being carried out behind closed doors.

And get rid of Barnier who is a vassal of the French president as well as being a failed French politician, and there are plenty of those.

[NickP]

A vassal state is any state that has a mutual obligation to a superior state or empire, in a status similar to that of a vassal in the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support in exchange for certain privileges. In some cases, the obligation included paying tribute, but a state which does so is better described as a tributary state. Today, more common terms are puppet state, protectorate, client state, associated state or satellite state.

[BritinBretagne]

At least that woolly one is predictable. It must be difficult having to pretend to be a remain supporter when being BJ and the Conservative’s greatest fan. He must obviously be reading different news updates to me if he really believes that the EU standing up to their basic principles and pointing out to an insignificant nation leaving one of the World’s largest trading blocks that it cannot be given a trading position with individual members of the EU than those members have with each other. The fact that they keep on harping on about wanting a Canadian style deal an£ don’t understand that they are not in the same position as Canada. Literally not in the same position, the 20 odd miles of water between a Kent and France is slightly less of a physical barrier than the thousands of miles of Atlantic Ocean between North America and the EU.

I know who I would tell to F*** Off.

[woolybanana]

Just to get one thing right, I dont like BJ much. But then, though a Conservative, I dont much like the direction the party has taken or some of the newer MPs.

[mint]

[quote user="BritinBretagne"]At least that woolly one is predictable. It must be difficult having to pretend to be a remain supporter when being BJ and the Conservative’s greatest fan. He must obviously be reading different news updates to me if he really believes that the EU standing up to their basic principles and pointing out to an insignificant nation leaving one of the World’s largest trading blocks that it cannot be given a trading position with individual members of the EU than those members have with each other. The fact that they keep on harping on about wanting a Canadian style deal an£ don’t understand that they are not in the same position as Canada. Literally not in the same position, the 20 odd miles of water between a Kent and France is slightly less of a physical barrier than the thousands of miles of Atlantic Ocean between North America and the EU.

I know who I would tell to( F*** Off.[/quote]

BinB, I heard an excellent interview about this very subject and your point about the relative physical distance between Canada and the EU and Britain and the EU.

The interviewee was the French Foreign Minister (can't think of his designation in French), Clément Beaune and he was lucid, soft-spoken, articulate (in English) and generally impressive with good understanding of the issues involved.  If only Boris or indeed one of his cabinet could be drummed up to answer questions like this man, calmly and with authority.  None of your huffing and puffing and waffle and half-finished sentences.  No need to even speak in a language not their own.  You'd be hard pushed to it to find anyone.

[NormanH]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/06/five-weeks-clinch-brexit-deal-uk-move-boris-johnson-to-say

[Beckett]

Listening to MB on France Inter this morning (https://www.franceinter.fr/emissions/l-invite-de-8h20-le-grand-entretien/l-invite-de-8h20-le-grand-entretien-07-septembre-2020) and comparing his mature, statesmanlike approach to our blustering Little Englanders was very depressing.

[NormanH]

Thank you for that link.

[NormanH]

https://uksala.org/is-there-any-scope-for-agreement-between-the-eu-and-uk-on-subsidies/?fbclid=IwAR1KjfuI6b7E7lX53rA504QY4wZTwh3un60Xx9oan3m_puxDMxdy7KoD2Y8

[Judith-aka-Judith]

Mint, in his favour I do believe BJ is fluent in several languages, even French, but whether he wishes to use it is quite another matter, never mind whether he could do so without so many "ums" and "ahs" even if that is so French!

[NormanH]

I can't judge his ability in other languages since I have never heard him speak any of them but 'fluent' isn' the word I would use to describe his franglais[:-))]

As Dr Johnson said of something else

"it  is like a

dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you

are surprised to find it done at all."

[Judith-aka-Judith]

NormanH, I accept that there is fluency and fluency - as in I am reasonably good at French, can unsertand most things I read, but if  talking about speaking fluently I get by rather than feel fluent!

As fo BJ as a classical scholar with his mixed origins, he can certainly speak in French, but it appears with the same incredible stutterings and ummerings with which he speaks his utterances in so-called English.

But then, how many politicians do you know who can speak another country's language fluently?  The northern Europeans probably, others, less so .. particularly, dare I say it, on this forum, the French!