Across the Channel, reactions were not long in coming. It must be said that in the United Kingdom, the name Michel Barnier is not only known to all, it carries a certain aura. As the European Brexit negotiator for four years, his face has become imprinted on British consciences.
Over time, the bête noire of the “Brexiters” even managed to win the esteem of an entire country, and eventually of the Conservatives themselves, notably through his qualities that could have been described as typically British: courtesy, moderation, a touch of irony, intellectual rigor and seriousness. Qualities that many English negotiators and politicians lacked, starting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the far-right leader Nigel Farage, lazy and populist histrions.
Even British tabloids like The Sun, known for their sometimes cruel spite, never insulted him as they did another French figure of the European Union, Jacques Delors, to whom they told “to go fuck himself” on the front page in 1990. The Sun admittedly called Barnier a “cocky”, in other words “arrogant”, but nothing too bad for an English tabloid.
“Finally a sane man”
When his appointment was announced, the comments of British citizens on X spoke volumes about the reputation of the Frenchman: “Anglophile with the patience of an angel who really tried to understand us”, “Finally, an adult in charge!”, “A decent guy who will do a good job, I would like him to be an MP in our country”, “the guy is thoughtful and lucid”, “Wise decision”, “Finally, a sensible man.” Some even remember with nostalgia the refrain often sung by Michel Barnier during the Brexit negotiations: “The clock is ticking!” They had also loved it when Barnier had called Boris Johnson and his team in charge of Brexit “buccaneers”.
The daily life The Times reminded his readers, however, that the French do not necessarily view him in the same way: “Barnier has shown himself to be a courteous and pugnacious Gaullist to us, but in France his image is that of a man who is a little too gentle, even soft.” In any case, the British media, both right and left, agree in concluding that if Michel Barnier was able to successfully carry out the circus that was the Brexit negotiations, he has all the qualities required to succeed in the impossible, namely governing a divided France and a Parliament without a majority…