A decade on from Brexit, the new PM has big calls to make on Europe

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: A decade on from Brexit, the new PM has big calls to make on Europe57 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleKatya AdlerEurope EditorBBCWith its nostalgically-painted, golden-maned horses, wistful French chanson music wafting as it turns, the Carrousel de St Pierre, by the venerated Sacre Coeur Church, is a firm favourite amongst tourists to Paris. But recently, as I watched the merry-go-round rotate to those romantic French tunes, more than anything else, it reminded me of Brexit. It's 10 years since the UK voted to leave the European Union.

Almost immediately, from an EU perspective, the UK collapsed inwards, embarking on what would be years of political crisis as the country splintered, fought and went round and round in circles - not unlike the painted carousel. And now, here we are again. Seven UK prime ministers in this post Brexit-vote decade - after Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday.

The Details

And the fraught - seemingly circular - EU debate: to what extent the UK should edge closer to Brussels economically - is very much back on the UK domestic political agenda, launched by Starmer's Labour government. Shocked a decade ago at the apparent social and political implosion following Britain's vote to leave (the UK parliament had traditionally been regarded as the European Union's most stable and venerated), EU partners say they've since got used to the roller-coaster that is modern-day UK politics. Frankly, if you look at big EU players France and Germany, their domestic political scene is hardly what you'd describe as a sea of calm either.

But doesn't UK political volatility impede the new negotiations with the EU, launched by Starmer, in a declared attempt to tear down post Brexit red tape and boost Britain's ailing economy? Brussels assumes these talks will continue under his successor, though it said on Monday it was reviewing whether to go ahead with a summit planned with the Starmer government for late July. EPA/ShutterstockSir Keir Starmer's government's declared intention to "reset" relations with the EUMichel Barnier was the EU's chief negotiator throughout the years of often bitter Brexit talks.

Nowadays, he's still a big cheese in French politics - a centre-right MP who was briefly PM two years ago and is expected to throw his hat into the ring in the country's upcoming presidential election. I met Barnier at his compact office adjacent to the French parliament. His attitude is essentially that the EU must take the outstretched hand of whomever the UK puts on the dancefloor to represent them.

What Experts Say

"We have to deal with this situation and respect it," he told me. There will be a (new) UK prime minister and we will work with them. Look at what happened during the (Brexit) negotiations.

I faced in four years four different UK negotiators. That was also a situation of instability, but we...

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.