One negotiator remained constant throughout the four years of Brexit talks. Hear his story.
The negotiations that led to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union lasted more than four years. During that grueling process, Britain had three prime ministers, who sometimes shifted positions and occasionally roiled the talks. The one constant was Michel Barnier, the European commissioner in charge of Brexit talks.
This week on our podcast The Negotiators, Barnier tells host Jenn Williams about challenges he faced in the talks, including one that couples often confront in divorce proceedings: how to dismantle the partnership and still retain a measure of goodwill.
Barnier has published a diary he kept during Brexit. For his full story, we recommend reading My Secret Brexit Diary: A Glorious Illusion.
The Negotiators is a partnership between Doha Debates and Foreign Policy.
About The Negotiators: Conflicts don’t just get resolved on their own. Most are settled through a grueling process of give and take, usually behind closed doors. On the podcast The Negotiators, Foreign Policy is teaming up with Doha Debates to put listeners in the room. Hosted by FP deputy editor Jenn Williams, each episode features one mediator, diplomat, or troubleshooter, describing one dramatic negotiation. You’ll hear about a nuclear standoff, a hostage crisis, a gang mediation, and much more: successes and failures that shaped people’s lives. See All Episodes
More The Negotiators episodes:
How the Good Friday Agreement Ended Decades of Violence in Northern Ireland
A top negotiator looks back at the deal that resolved the Troubles 25 years ago.
The Art of Hostage Negotiations—When You’re the Hostage
A Texas rabbi mediates a life-or-death situation.
Inside the Youth-Led Fight for Peace in Libya
One reporter goes behind closed doors at the Libyan peace talks in Norway.
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