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Boris Johnson, Prime Minister Great Britain:
"We have regained control of our laws and our fate."
Ursula von der Leyen:
“
It's been a long and winding road, but we've got a good deal on hand.
«
Agreement at the very last minute: Great Britain and the EU have a deal - so the UK is leaving the European Union after a one-year transition phase.
But it was a long, long way to get here.
A review.
2016:
Britain prepares for a referendum that will determine the country's future.
Should the country leave the EU or stay in the EU?
The main actors: Prime Minister David Cameron as "Remainer" and as leader of the "Leave" camp Nigel Farage and his UKIP party.
Above all, it stirs up emotions: with memories of the empire times, with anti-immigration policies - and misinformation.
And the anti-EU campaign is gaining a prominent supporter: London's then Mayor Boris Johnson.
(Johnson's bus)
June 23, 2016: The British vote with a slim majority of 52% for leaving the EU, 48% are against.
JENNY WATSON, Senior Electoral Officer EU Referendum:
"That means the UK will leave the European Union."
The winners of this political earthquake are Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson.
- David Cameron, who first initiated the EU referendum for reasons within the party but was then unable to convince the British to stay, has to admit his defeat.
He resigns as Prime Minister.
His successor is Theresa May. Her slogan for the coming months: "Brexit means Brexit," May occupies important ministerial posts with Brexit supporters.
Boris Johnson's steep rise continues: he becomes foreign minister.
The country is divided into supporters and opponents of Brexit who want to stay in the EU.
2017:
January 2017: No deal is better than a bad deal - Theresa May's sentence becomes the mantra that characterizes the subsequent negotiations with the EU.
In March, May officially starts the process of leaving the EU.
Donald Tusk, EU Council President (2014-2019):
“So here it is. Six pages. The message from Prime Minister Theresa May that triggers Article 50. "
It sets the UK's exit date as March 29, 2019.
But with early parliamentary elections in June, May and the Conservatives experience a major setback: They lose their majority in parliament.
May has to form a coalition with the Northern Irish, ultra-conservative DUP in order to stay in power at all.
July: The official Brexit talks begin in Brussels.
Central issues are the rights of EU citizens in Great Britain and the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The discussions are extremely tough for months.
A first breakthrough came in December: in a joint report, the two outlined what an agreement on key issues could look like.
2018:
March 2018: The draft Brexit agreement is in place.
Many questions remain, but the UK government is making concessions on free movement of workers, trade and fishing rights.
In July May unveiled the long-awaited “Checkers” plan to her cabinet, named after the premier's venue and country residence.
It becomes clear: The government is preparing a much softer Brexit than it had previously specified.
Hardliners like Boris Johnson and Brexit Minister David Davis are stepping down from their offices.
The pressure on Theresa May is increasing.
Great Britain and the EU agree on a deal in November.
However, it still requires the approval of the British and European Parliaments in order to come into force.
And resistance is forming in their own party.
However, she still survived a vote of no confidence by the Tories in December.
2019
2019: The year in which Great Britain is actually supposed to leave the EU begins - instead it will be the year of parliamentary votes.
The focus is often on House Speaker John Bercow.
In the often heated debates, he repeatedly urges MPs to exercise moderation.
The head of government has received two violent defeats and looks increasingly weakened.
May has to ask for stoppage time several times in Brussels because she does not get a majority for her proposals in her own parliament.
On March 29, the original Brexit date, Parliament again rejected May's deal in a third vote.
Theresa May, UK Prime Minister 2016-2019:
“Once again, we were unable to support an orderly withdrawal from the European Union. The effects of Parliament's decision are grave. "
As a still-EU member, Great Britain is obliged to vote in the European elections on May 23rd - an irony of history.
The result: a devastating defeat for the Conservatives.
The big winners of the Brexit fiasco, on the other hand, are Nigel Farage and his Brexit party.
May's political fate is sealed with the election defeat.
In an emotional speech, she announced her resignation as Prime Minister and Chair of the Tories.
Theresa May, UK Prime Minister 2016-2019:
"I do this without any ill will, but with enormous and lasting gratitude that I was allowed to serve the country I love."
Your successor has been positioning himself with pithy sayings for months.
On July 23, Boris Johnson wins the election for party chairmanship.
The next day he moves into Downing Street as the new Prime Minister….
From then on, he had arguments in parliament with the leader of the Labor party, Jeremy Corbyn.
Jeremy Corbyn, Labor Chair (2015-2020):
"And if he (Johnson) has the confidence to give this decision back to the people, we would fight to stay in the EU."
Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister:
"He was reprogrammed by his party friends and has now become a remainer."
Johnson is in a difficult position.
On the one hand, negotiations with the EU are stalling, especially over the inner-Irish border.
On the other hand, the parliament in London remains stubborn - he does not get majorities either.
But the prime minister lands a coup.
Without further ado, he sends the parliamentarians into a five-week forced break from September 9 to October 14.
The Supreme Court of Great Britain later decides unanimously:
LADY BRENDA HALE, President of the London Supreme Court, (2017-2020):
"The decision to advise Her Majesty to suspend Parliament was illegal."
But Johnson won important time and put the MPs under pressure.
The Queen's Speech will take place on October 14th.
It marks the ceremonial opening of the cycle of parliamentary sessions.
Queen Elizabeth II.:
"The priority of my (ie Johnson's, editor's note) government has always been to secure the UK's exit from the European Union on October 31st."
Meanwhile, the EU is rejecting a new Brexit plan from Johnson's government.
The talks appear to be on the verge of failure.
But then, on October 17th, the turning point comes:
Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Commission President 2014-19:
"We have a deal."
But Parliament throws Johnson another throat.
Again he lacks the majority and, contrary to all promises, he has to ask Brussels for a delay.
This time until January 31st.
Johnson puts everything on one card: He demands new elections - the only way out of the stalemate.
Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister:
“The way to do Brexit is to be sensible. If Parliament really needs more time to study this excellent deal, it will get it. But the MPs have to vote for a parliamentary election on December 12th. This is the way forward. "
Johnson gets this approval.
And the majority of Britons seem to have had enough of the Brexit chaos.
Johnson's simple message "Get Brexit done" catches on with the people, the Tories win the election with a clear majority of 43.6 percent of the vote.
Labor leader Corbyn, who had promised a second referendum in the election campaign, is stepping down as chairman after a real debacle in his party.
With its new composition, the House of Commons will smoothly adopt the Brexit deal on December 20.
2020
January 31, 2020: After almost four years, the moment has come: the UK officially leaves at midnight;
11 p.m. UK time, the European Union.
But the relationship drama between the mainland and the island is still not really over.
Before the final divorce, both sides agreed on a separation period until December 31, 2020, during which all outstanding issues should be contractually regulated.
During this time, Great Britain remains in the single market and in the customs union.
But time passes without any decisive progress.
Especially when the corona pandemic reached Europe in spring.
Negotiations are now taking place online, which makes things even more complicated.
In late summer, the fronts hardened on the subject of backstop - the inner-Irish border again became a bone of contention:
SIMON COVENEY, Irish Foreign Minister:
“There is disappointment across the EU about what has happened in the UK over the past two weeks. Passing legislation to deliberately undermine an international agreement with the EU. That has raised a lot of concern. It damaged trust and relationships in these negotiations. "
Johnson:
»I regret having to say to the House of Commons: But the EU has indicated in recent months that it is ready to go to the extreme and to demand unreasonable things. It will use the Northern Ireland Protocol in ways that are far beyond common sense. "
Talks remain tough until winter.
Especially when it comes to fishing, there is no progress.
The breakthrough came on Christmas Eve: Brussels and London agree on a deal.
A few days before an unregulated Brexit.
It couldn't have been more dramatic.