The forthcoming departure of the UK from the EU will have many adverse consequences for both the leavers and the left. One is the departure of one of the loudest and most consistent voices for free trade within the union.
A serious counterweight to habitual protectionists in France, Italy and elsewhere is much to be desired. Although the EU is embarking on a series of bilateral trade agreements with the likes of Mercosur, the South American customs union, as well as Australia and New Zealand, it is also showing disturbing signs of keeping out foreign goods, services and capital.
An early test has come in the form of proposals pushed by Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, for an EU-wide system of screening, and if necessary blocking, takeovers from outside the EU. The rationale is national security, but the mechanism is open to more powerful countries such as France protecting their companies by deterring competitive producers from setting up shop in smaller nations.