BRUSSELS, Belgium — The divorce deal approved by Britain and the European Union on Sunday sets the stage for the end of a nearly 46-year marriage of convenience, built on prudence rather than shared dreams. ADVERTISEMENT“The sentimental dimension is near non-existent.”Britain was against joining the European project when it was conceived after the Second World War in a spirit of reconciliation. Instead, Britain preferred to focus on its special relationship with the United States and the remains of its empire. ADVERTISEMENT“The UK had to be inside it to shape it.”But joining the European project was not an easy task. France’s then-president Charles de Gaulle vetoed Britain’s first application in 1961, seeing it as a “Trojan Horse” for the United States and doubting Britain’s European spirit.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer November 25, 2018 12:00 UTC