No-deal Brexit: now comes the fear
Food, medicine and gas shortages, border controls and bottlenecks, protests and unrest - a government document leaked to the Sunday Times outlines the potential grave consequences of a no-deal Brexit. British MPs are calling for an early end to the summer recess. Europe's commentary columns also voice alarm.
Warn the British before they doom themselves
The EU member states should warn the British, Der Standard admonishes:
“Lorries would form massive queues at ports, diabetes patients and those susceptible to flu would have to inject themselves with medications past their expiry date, food would get more expensive overnight, two major refineries would be in danger of closure. The police and army would be confronted with unrest, particularly on the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, which London has promised to keep open. The prime minister is evoking no deal as a means of piling the pressure on Brussels: the EU will only give on the Irish backstop issue if the chaos is credible. But even if the 26 EU partners wanted to leave Ireland in the lurch it would by no means be certain that the House of Commons would approve the Brexit deal. Johnson is playing with fire. Paris and Berlin should tell him that with undiplomatic directness.”
A duel in irresponsibility
Boris Johnson and the EU are being as irresponsible about Brexit as James Dean's character Jim and his rival Buzz were in their car race on the silver screen, L'Opinion complains:
“Where is all of this leading? To the cliff edge - first of all. A little like in the legendary scene from Rebel Without A Cause. Jim challenges Buzz to a 'chicken run' car race towards a cliff edge. ... Both know full well that it's a long way down, and each hopes the other will be the first to jump out of his car. There's no point telling them just how dangerous it all is. All you can do is cross your fingers and watch which one helps the other to save face.”