On June 23, 2016, 51.9 percent of British voters expressed a preference for leaving the European Union. On March 28, 2017, British Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, giving the UK and the EU two years to negotiate an exit agreement. Formal negotiations began on June 19. Deutsche Welle reports.
So far the two sides have set a timetable and agreed that the conditions of the UK leaving must be set before any further deals are reached. But how well are the two sides actually prepared for a process that will be fraught with tension and under time pressure? DW asked three professional negotiators who have worked for governments and top international companies.
With talks like these, is it better to take the offensive or wait and see what the other side offers?
Matthias Schranner (author, hostage negotiator for the German government): Under no circumstances wait and see. It’s important to determine the structures, the topics and the time frame. With the Brexit, that means talking about the status of EU citizens in Britain and British citizens in the EU, then about money and only then about future cooperation.
Moty Cristal (author, hostage negotiator for the Israeli government): My main recommendation to both sides would be to take a year to prepare if they want the situation to move towards something that will look like a win-win rather than a power paradox. From a negotiation perspective this is a process that will require research and development.
Friedhelm Wachs (author, negotiation trainer): You have a range of issues that are all connected with one another, so you can’t afford to wait and see. You have to define your ideas, which are what both sides will then discuss.