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| The UK won't be allowed to cherry-pick. That's the only sensible way for the EU, otherwise every member state would want the same. Whether FMOP is a necessity may be open for debate but as things stand free EEA access without FMOP isn't possible. You probably know Merkel's POV, and Hollande said the same less than a day ago. | |
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But these are actually points that quite a few other member countries are also unhappy with. Rather than trying to defend them at all costs, if the EU was forward looking it might open an EU wide debate over some EU-wide fair and transparent quota system to replace the present no-limits FMOP. That way it wouldn't be perceived as the UK unilaterally engaging in cherry picking.
If they had done that some years ago, the whole Brexit debacle could have been avoided, but sometimes you need a shock to awake from your complacency. Maybe Brexit was that shock but Merkel and Hollande are still in denial.