He previously served as Chief Negotiator, Task Force for the Preparation and Conduct of the Negotiations with the United Kingdom under Article 50 TEU (Task Force 50/TF50) from October 2016 to November 2019. This book finally allows him to talk about himself, perhaps laying the foundations for a campaign for the next election in France.

He is no doubt fired up by his mission, but I am not sure we will be able to go into the detail of the negotiation with him, take account of facts and realities. Rarely do we see thinking of the other side of a negotiation so quickly, while the trail is still warm. In the image of its author, it is mostly courteous, measured and precise: a sober, matter-of-fact – and, to those who followed Brexit’s twists and turns, broadly familiar – account. He realises she is "about to reveal nothing less than all of her red lines, even though we have not started negotiating". To sum up, the interest of Barnier's book lies in this format, which allows him to combine educational and intimate narratives.However, this has not prevented critics, particularly on the remain side, from seeing this book as a further justification for Brexit nonsense . The Sunday Express has learnt that Lord Frost, who negotiated the trade deal, agrees with most Brexiteers that the agreement needs to go with stability in Northern Ireland already under threat and a belief that the EU is trying to use it as a means to punish the UK for Brexit.

Discover POLITICO Pro In-depth reporting, data and actionable intelligence for policy professionals – all in one place. MEPs on the European Parliament's trade and foreign affairs committees gave their consent to the deal on Thursday, raising hope of a possible improvement in strained relations between the two sides over Northern Ireland. Barnier served on the staff of various Gaullist ministers in the 1970s, before being elected in 1978, aged 27, to the French National Assembly as deputy for the Department of Savoie representing the neo-Gaullists, Rally for the Republic (RPR), serving until 1993.

According to the Withdrawal Agreement, all UK citizens who have chosen to live in the EU are supposed to have their rights protected, whether that be home ownership, voting rights, freedom to travel or having bank accounts.

But after the trade deal was signed on a “day of relief, tinged with sadness”, Mr Barnier recorded that he had achieved the EU’s negotiating goals thanks to the “unity and solidarity” of the 27 member states.Some of his big ideas, which could outline a programme, are distilled throughout the book, and more blatantly at the end.