Sputnik: What are likely to be the main outcome of Theresa May's meeting with Macron today?
Gino Raymond: I think both have got to give a bit of ground. I think Mrs May knows that there's a certain degree of disenchantment in France with regard to Britain and Brexit and there's a popular sentiment in France that, this is a British problem; the migrants in Calais, and that Britain should be doing more to address that problem.
In fact, in 2016 Emmanuel Macron actually said that in the event of Brexit, the border will no longer be in France but will actually go back into being British soil, so there is that sentiment there and Mrs May is aware of that and I think aware of the fact that she's got to give some ground.
Conversely; Macron knows he can't push the argument he deployed in 2016 too far, because his predecessor Francois Hollande, had also engaged in a similar kind of rhetoric. He was then persuaded in fact, that if the present arrangements under the tuquet agreement operate, in other words; if British border police had to leave France and actually go back to Dover, that might actually lead to more immigrants coming, because they would feel that they could transit through France more easily to get to Britain.
In fact; it might have a counterproductive effect, so both of them in a sense have to find common ground.
Sputnik: Who in your opinion should take more responsibility for the situation in Calais concerning migrant camps?
Gino Raymond: France is in a difficult position because of course, France is part of the Schengen agreement, so it is part of that single space which allows migrants, once they come through Italy or Spain, to actually travel up to France.
The French might reply; well, according to the Dublin accords, wherever the migrants first landed in Europe that is the place where they should make their asylum applications and their status to protection in those states. There is a certain degree of frustration in France.
The truth is; there are reasonable arguments on both sides, that being part of the Schengen agreement, you take responsibility together with other countries, like Spain, Greece and Italy for the arrival of these migrants.
Conversely; the French are effectively doing the job of British border police for them, or allowing them to operate effectively on their territory, so I think it's legitimate to expect Britain to pay more for the cost of this. Especially as there are social costs in places like Calais. Not just Calais; it's other communities on that coast of France, who are having to deal with the difficult social fallout of these migrants coming.
Sputnik: How will Franco- British relations change after Brexit?
Gino Raymond: Macron has to tread a fine line. I think on the one hand, he has become Mr Europe, with regards to leadership in Europe. The difficulties that Angela Merkel is having in creating a coalition government, really has left the stage clear for Macron.
He is the leader of Europe, he is the strongman of Europe, and he is the one driving forward the European project. On the other hand, he can't take too hard a line with Britain because in fact Britain and France occupy a unique place in Europe.
In terms of defence, in terms of the fight against terrorism, in respect of providing Europe with a military cutting edge. It can only be Britain and France acting in co-operation with each other, there's no other partner which can provide that. Macron has got to find a balance between on the one hand, pushing forward Europe's interests, but also recognising that Europe; certainly in the areas of defence and counter terrorism, in Britain he has a privileged partner.
The views and opinions expressed by Gino Raymond do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.
