When Scotland met Germany

[Vouthon]

I read this article today and had - just had - to put it up for Ridgerunner :blushing:

politico.eu/article/when-scotland-met-germany/

**When Scotland met Germany

Edinburgh has a friend in trade ahead of Brexit.

By JANOSCH DELCKER 3/24/17

Call it the Edinburgh-Berlin-Munich axis.

Scotland is looking to strengthen trade ties with Germany before Britain leaves the EU. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that she had signed an economic collaboration declaration with Bavarian Economy Minister** Ilse Aigner this morning. As part of the economy minister’s trip, representatives of Bavarian startups and energy companies are touring Scotland to meet with Scottish government officials and representatives of businesses such as Edinburgh-based travel aggregator Skyscanner.

Scotland is also looking to open its own trade representation in the German capital, a government spokesperson confirmed to POLITICO, mentioning “a number of reasons, including Germany consistently being in Scotland’s top five export destinations with exports worth [more than €2.02 billion] in 2015, and being Scotland’s third-largest inward investor.”

Sturgeon traveled to Berlin last summer to meet with Germany’s Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth. Since then, both sides have actively forged closer ties, particularly through business cooperation.

Earlier this month, the Scottish economy secretary, Keith Brown, met with representatives of the Scottish Chamber of Commerce and the Association of German Chambers of Commerce to discuss the details, and said afterward that he was “heartened by the positive response” he received.

Edinburgh has launched similar hubs in London and Dublin, and plans to open another in Brussels, according to the Scottish government.

In Berlin, officials have certainly taken notice of the efforts “to open offices all across Europe,” as one German trade official put it, and the Germans are also pushing for closer relations with Edinburgh…

Ever since Britain voted to leave the EU, Berlin has pledged Edinburgh its support for efforts to remain in the common bloc if Scotland decided to split from the United Kingdom. Just three days after the referendum, the head of the EU affairs committee in the German parliament said that “the EU will continue to have 28 member states, as I expect another independence referendum in Scotland.” Shortly after, then-Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel (who has since become foreign minister) promised Edinburgh that “the EU will certainly take in Scotland, if [it] wants to leave the U.K. and enter the EU.”

 

[SuperLuigi]

I’m not sure if Scotland can legally push this too far since technically all of their foreign affairs run through Westminster…

 

[Vouthon]

It comes the same week as this news item:

commonspace.scot/articles/10628/lasst-schottland-bleiben-17000-sign-german-petition-support-indy-scotland-europe

**‘Lasst Schottland bleiben!’: 17,000 sign German petition to support indy Scotland in Europe

German public call on EU negotiators to support Scotland’s vote to remain in the EU**

A PETITION TO LET SCOTLAND STAY (‘Lasst Schottland bleiben’) has received the
backing of over 17,000 people as support grows across the European Union to welcome Scotland as a new and full member.

The German message for European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has grown ahead of the formal triggering of Article 50 by the Tory Government on the formal exit from the EU next week.

Messages of support have been heard from across the political spectrum in the European Parliament, with senior figures in EU state governments also extending a warm hand of friendship towards Scottish ambitions to maintain a close relationship with Europe.

Public support for Scotland in Germany - which YouGov polling put at 71 per cent - was highest of all the countries polled, and German leaders from across the political spectrum have spoken out in support of Scotland’s democratic claim.

Nicola Sturgeon met President Juncker in Brussels following the referendum results in Scotland and the rest of the UK last June. He said that Scotland had “earned the right to be heard and listened to” following the vote to remain in the European Union.

Earlier this month Elmar Brok MEP, a key figure in European constitutional affairs circles, said Scotland joining the EU will be “easy” with “not much to negotiate”. Former Belgium Prime Minister and now lead EU Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt went further and said an independent Scotland would be welcome within the EU without having to reapply to the organisation. Head of the European Commission to the UK, Jacqueline Minor, has also confirmed that Scotland would be able to “move faster” than other membership processes due to “the fact that all your legislation has to be in alignment with existing European rules”.

 

[SuperLuigi]

None of this is really surprising.

But the Scots would be wise to be wary. For one thing, Germany needs another place it can put some refugees. Second, they (EU) do not have Scotland’s best interests at heart. Their goal is to preserve the EU by any means necessary.

I think they could pull it off as the needle is close enough. But what some to most will consider is if they are better off in the UK.