It’s polite, of course, to congratulate the new leader of a neighbor and ally.
But the tone of EU leaders’ messages to Liz Truss – seen here in Brussels as a hardliner on Brexit, and a hawk when it comes to Russia – reveals a lot more than a superficial “well done”.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission chief, tweeted that the UK and EU were partners, facing current challenges together – but that she hoped as prime minister, Liz Truss would be “constructive”, respecting agreements previously reached between the two sides.
MEP Nathalie Loiseau, France’s former Europe minister, was more direct, tweeting: “I hope she will refrain from making things more difficult between the EU and the UK.”
Politicians in Eastern Europe, meanwhile, who openly applaud the UK for its tough stance towards the Kremlin, were unreservedly warm.
Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas tweeted a photo of her alongside Liz Truss during her time as British foreign secretary, saying: “I’m confident our partnership will only grow.”
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But does Liz Truss actually need to worry about what EU leaders think of her?
The answer is very much yes. EU relations are a pressing issue for the incoming prime minister. The reason: despite the political separation of Brexit, pressing events in the rest of Europe can have, and are having, a considerable real-time impact back in the UK.
When countries with a big economy like Germany, in its current hurried attempt to find alternatives to Russian energy, bid aggressively for Norwegian gas – a source the UK already rely on – that affects prices, and potentially the even UK’s access to supplies.
The EU as a whole is now trying to find a common means of stabilizing energy prices across the bloc. Analysts predict that will have quite an impact on the energy market – at least if EU countries, with their contrasting priorities, ever manage to reach an agreement.
Then there’s migration.
As foreign secretary, Liz Truss promised to be “robust” with the French authorities to stop the rising number of refugees and other migrants trying to reach the UK across the English Channel. But being too assertive, or combative vis-à-vis Paris is unlikely to guarantee that French cooperation is needed from Calais. Relations weren’t helped this summer when Liz Truss retorted that the “jury was out” on French President Emmanuel Macron after she was asked if he was a friend or a foe to the UK.
