New British Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to appoint the bumbling Boris Johnson as foreign minister is another dramatic act in times when British polity has come to expect the unusual than the normal. May has led a churn of her cabinet after occupying 10 Downing Street at a time the country is still recovering from the shock of a vote to go out of the European Union. As if the Brexit body blow and the departure of David Cameron from the premiership were not enough, the appointment of Johnson as the chief British diplomat has thrust Britain into a situation the international community finds hard to fathom. Diplomats — naturally known to be choosy with their words — found it hard yesterday to mince words as they reacted with alacrity and alarm.
The French foreign minister was most indiscreet on a day his country was observing the Bastille Day. Calling the former London mayor as one who did not hesitate to prevaricate, Jean-Marc Ayrault said: “You saw what his style was like through the campaign? He lied a lot to the British. Now it’s him with his back against the wall to defend his country and to clarify his relationship with Europe.”
Britain is a big power — politically and economically. One of the Permanent Five at the UN Security Council, the nuclear power is Washington’s most reliable ally and a conduit to the US State Department’s power flow to Europe and other regions on this side of the Atlantic.
The British foreign minister need not only have an insightful understanding of foreign affairs, but should stand as an example to be emulated across the international diplomatic spectrum. It is needless to say Johnson doesn’t have much of either.
What disables Johnson from leading the foreign office is his campaign to take Britain out of Europe. Not only European leaders, but almost all citizens of the continent resent his stance and found the reasons he offered for UK leaving the European Union rather preposterous. In his new capacity, the minister who has been called a buffoon, would have to deal with European leaders — that may present an awkward dilemma.
How does he propose to deal with leaders of the continent he reviled and despised throughout the Brexit campaign of which he was the leader? Yesterday, Johnson said leaving EU doesn’t mean severing ties with Europe. The remark is an attempt at placating the powers in the continent that he will have to deal with.
A minister who lacks gravitas and the skills of a diplomat cannot be expected to do justice to the crucial role of a foreign minister. Now it’s just wait and watch for Johnson’s first gaffe.
New British Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to appoint the bumbling Boris Johnson as foreign minister is another dramatic act in times when British polity has come to expect the unusual than the normal. May has led a churn of her cabinet after occupying 10 Downing Street at a time the country is still recovering from the shock of a vote to go out of the European Union. As if the Brexit body blow and the departure of David Cameron from the premiership were not enough, the appointment of Johnson as the chief British diplomat has thrust Britain into a situation the international community finds hard to fathom. Diplomats — naturally known to be choosy with their words — found it hard yesterday to mince words as they reacted with alacrity and alarm.
The French foreign minister was most indiscreet on a day his country was observing the Bastille Day. Calling the former London mayor as one who did not hesitate to prevaricate, Jean-Marc Ayrault said: “You saw what his style was like through the campaign? He lied a lot to the British. Now it’s him with his back against the wall to defend his country and to clarify his relationship with Europe.”
Britain is a big power — politically and economically. One of the Permanent Five at the UN Security Council, the nuclear power is Washington’s most reliable ally and a conduit to the US State Department’s power flow to Europe and other regions on this side of the Atlantic.
The British foreign minister need not only have an insightful understanding of foreign affairs, but should stand as an example to be emulated across the international diplomatic spectrum. It is needless to say Johnson doesn’t have much of either.
What disables Johnson from leading the foreign office is his campaign to take Britain out of Europe. Not only European leaders, but almost all citizens of the continent resent his stance and found the reasons he offered for UK leaving the European Union rather preposterous. In his new capacity, the minister who has been called a buffoon, would have to deal with European leaders — that may present an awkward dilemma.
How does he propose to deal with leaders of the continent he reviled and despised throughout the Brexit campaign of which he was the leader? Yesterday, Johnson said leaving EU doesn’t mean severing ties with Europe. The remark is an attempt at placating the powers in the continent that he will have to deal with.
A minister who lacks gravitas and the skills of a diplomat cannot be expected to do justice to the crucial role of a foreign minister. Now it’s just wait and watch for Johnson’s first gaffe.
