EPISODE · Nov 26, 2016 · 13 MIN
Michel Barnier
from Profile · host BBC Radio 4
Brexit negotiations between the EU and the UK are months away. And - as we keep hearing - there will be no discussion before notification (of the now infamous Article 50).But we do know who will represent the EU in those negotiations: the French politician Michel Barnier, who met his counterpart David Davis this week.Born in the Savoie region in south-east France, Barnier has been a committed Gaullist since he was a teenager. At 27 he made history in France by becoming the youngest MP ever elected. And in 1992 he took great pride in bringing the Winter Olympics to his region.His allies say he is a reasonable, sensitive negotiator. His critics tell us he can be self-important and cold. Everyone agrees he will be fiercely committed to defending the EU's interests in the complex Brexit negotiations ahead.Presenter: Becky Milligan Producers: Smita Patel and Alex Burton.
What this episode covers
Brexit negotiations between the EU and the UK are months away. And - as we keep hearing - there will be no discussion before notification (of the now infamous Article 50).But we do know who will represent the EU in those negotiations: the French politician Michel Barnier, who met his counterpart David Davis this week.Born in the Savoie region in south-east France, Barnier has been a committed Gaullist since he was a teenager. At 27 he made history in France by becoming the youngest MP ever elected. And in 1992 he took great pride in bringing the Winter Olympics to his region.His allies say he is a reasonable, sensitive negotiator. His critics tell us he can be self-important and cold. Everyone agrees he will be fiercely committed to defending the EU's interests in the complex Brexit negotiations ahead.Presenter: Becky Milligan Producers: Smita Patel and Alex Burton.
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Michel Barnier
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