Читать книгу My Secret Brexit Diary - Michel Barnier - Страница 34

We arrive this morning in Zagreb, where I am pleased to meet the young Prime Minister, Andrej Plenković, whose new government looks set to make a positive contribution to the agenda of the twenty-seven.

As far as Brexit is concerned, the Prime Minister is engaged and attentive, particularly as regards the question relating to the mobility of citizens, an issue in which his country has a very particular interest. Croatia was the last country to join the European Union, on 1 January 2013, and is still in a transition period during which free movement of citizens is not complete. The Prime Minister therefore asks whether Croatians who wish to do so will benefit from free movement to the UK prior to its withdrawal.

Another concern is, of course, the desire to preserve the funding for the cohesion policy planned for the current budget period (2014–20). As Mr Plenković rightly says, reducing the differences in living standards between Europeans is a concern that lies at the heart of the Union’s project.

Strolling through the streets of the old town after this meeting, we pass a baroque building that houses The Museum of Broken Relationships. With goodwill, even after a painful break-up, it is sometimes possible to build a solid and harmonious relationship.