EU picks Brexit negotiator the British media will love to hate

Former European Commissioner Michel Barnier has been appointed as the European Commission's chief negotiator for the Brexit negotiations. The surprise appointment was announced on Wednesday by commission president Jean-Claude Juncker at the final meeting of commissioners before the summer break.

The 65-year old French man held the position of internal markets commissioner from 2009 until 2014, replacing Irish commissioner Charlie McCreevy. He was succeeded in the role by British commissioner Jonathan Hill, who resigned from the position in the wake of the British referendum.

Sir Julian King, who was nominated by Downing Street this month to replace Lord Hill, is expected to be allocated a new portfolio imminently. He must also be approved by the European Parliament, most likely in September.

At odds with City

While Mr Barnier was most recently a special advisor to Jean-Claude Juncker on defence, he is best known for his role as internal markets and financial services portfolio during the height of the euro-zone crisis. During this time he introduced a raft of EU regulations on financial services, accountancy and banking, vowing to tighten EU financial regulation in the wake of the financial crisis and formulating the nascent banking union. His policies often put him at odds with the City of London, as he backed controversial proposals such as a cap on bankers’ bonuses.

Mr Barnier’s official title will be chief negotiator “in charge of leading the commission taskforce for the preparation and conduct of the negotiations with the United Kingdom under Article 50 of the TEU”.

However, it is expected that most of the heavy lifting and political decisions on the Brexit negotiations will be done by the European Council, representing member states.

Experienced politician

Announcing the appointment, Mr Juncker said he wanted an experienced politician for the job. “I am very glad that my friend Michel Barnier accepted this important and challenging task. I wanted an experienced politician for this difficult job. Michel is a skilled negotiator with rich experience in major policy areas relevant to the negotiations,” he said.

Mr Barnier will begin his role on October 1st.