The essence of the Brexit negotiations

PM May yesterday told the Conservative party annunal conference in Birmingham that she will trigger Article 50 before April 2017. The framing of UK´s divorce letter to the first quarter next year brings more clarity for the further Brexit process, both for the UK and the EU. 

May also promised to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act next year, a law that took Britain into what is now the EU, and make Britain “a sovereign and independent country”.

She insisted that controlling immigration and withdrawing from the jurisdiction of the European court of justice would be her priorities during EU exit negotiations, "the strongest indication yet that she will lean towards a hard Brexit" - according to the Guardian.

The Brexiters welcomed her speech while the Remainers pointed to weaknesses and difficulties - as the Guardian referring to Charles Grant, the director of the Centre for European Reform, who has published a paper in which he reveals that negotiators in other countries including France and Germany are preparing "to stand their ground in Brexit negotiations. They believe freedom of movement is a central part of the single market and are reluctant to make concessions in other areas."

"Both sides" are now preparing for the fortcoming negotiations. In spite of May´s speech we do not know exactly what kind of solution UK will wish for and what the EU will be willing to offer. 

Many believe that the negotiations will be a fight where UK will try to cherrypick the EU-goodies and that the EU will try to prevent a success for such a stategy. This is a "negative" scenario. But if we look at these really unique negotiations from a third starting point - to achieve necessary EU reforms, we can see a more positive perspective. The UK negotiators have to show that the UK is actually better served by being outside the EU than by participating, while the EU must show that the opposite is true. Probably will both strategies be partially successful while weaknesses in argumention also will become evident. This can at best provide a better basis and gravity for EU reforms. To prevent further disintegration EU may have to change some of the things that UK disliked, and if the EU does that a UK return may some day be possible.