伦敦银行家不用担心英国退欧了？英首相欧洲找“盟友”

英国政府与欧盟的贸易谈判将于明年年初启动。英国首相特蕾莎·梅认为，金融业人士应该对谈判结果保持乐观。

与波兰总理马泰乌什·莫拉维茨基会晤后，梅在飞机上表示，莫拉维茨基对与英国服务业签署专门协议态度比较开放，“很令人鼓舞。”她还提到，上周意大利总理保罗·真蒂洛尼曾表示应该对英国制定“针对性的协议”。她认为这表明，其他欧盟领导人对英国根据自身情况与欧盟开展贸易也比较开明。

“波兰总理明确表示，金融服务业不仅对英国很重要，对整个欧盟也很重要。很高兴听到这番话。”梅告诉记者。她说，莫拉维茨的看法“反映了现实：其他领导人也期望与我们超越现有模式，搭建良好的贸易关系。”

这番言论显示，在欧盟领导人上周认同第一阶段谈判取得“显著进展”后，英国在为明年3月开始与欧盟进行贸易谈判做准备，同时也在欧盟成员国中积极寻找盟友。

巴尼耶明确反对

如果按照梅的说法，莫拉维茨等欧盟领导人应该并不认同欧盟首席谈判代表米歇尔·巴尼耶最近的表态。在本周一英国《卫报》发表的采访谈话中，巴尼耶说不可能跟英国就金融服务业达成专门协议。他表示，英国决定离开欧盟单一市场后就已经排除了可能性。

早前，莫拉维茨上周四跟梅一道出席新闻发布会时，对“危险的”贸易保护主义观念发出警告。他说：“我认为，英国与欧盟应该继续保持目前的紧密联系，尽快就经济与贸易合作达成新协议，确保双方商业界清楚情况。”

近来英国政府已经加紧行动，保护本国金融等专业服务行业。梅和英国央行行长马克·卡尼上周三表示，英国银行需要欧洲市场的同时，欧洲也需要英国银行。金融服务业对英国的重要性不言而喻。据英国金融服务顾问公司TheCityUK估算，该行业从业人士约220万，在英国GDP中占近11%。

除了应付巴尼耶展现的强硬态度，上周梅的亲密工作伙伴——副首相达米安·格林被曝电脑中有色情内容后宣布辞职。不过去华沙与莫拉维茨的会晤后，她开始乐观起来。

梅保持乐观

“其他欧洲国家领导人给我留下的印象是期待贸易磋商，他们了解其中的重要性，”梅说，“我对即将进行的谈判很乐观，因为不仅仅符合我们的利益，也符合欧盟27个成员国的利益。”

梅认为，英国金融业应该“感到鼓舞”，因为政府“充分承认金融服务的重要性，而且很明确一点，未来英国与欧盟维持关系时不仅注重商品贸易，也会考虑服务业。”

梅还谈到，为格林离去感到难过。格林被查出办公电脑中藏有色情视频，之后又故意撒谎隐瞒，违反了官员行为规范。

“我很伤心，我们从上大学就认识了，他是一位优秀的官员，”梅对记者说，“可对我来说，内阁大臣的报告更重要。显然他的行为违反了官员行为准则。身在公职，我们就要按照高标准严于律己。” （财富中文网）

译者：Pessy

审稿：夏林

Prime Minister Theresa May said the U.K.’s financial sector should be optimistic about the outcome of Britain’s trade talks with the European Union that are due to start early next year.

Speaking on the plane after meeting with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw, May said her counterpart’s openness to a special deal on services was “encouraging.” She cited comments by Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni last week that there should be a “tailor-m21ade deal” for the U.K. as evidence that other EU leaders are open to Britain carving out a bespoke trading relationship with the bloc.

“It was good to hear that the Polish prime minister was clear about the importance of financial services, not just for London but for the whole of the European Union,” May told reporters. Morawiecki’s views “reflect the fact that other leaders as well are looking to us having a good trading relationship that isn’t based on a model that already exists.”

The remarks show how the U.K. is seeking allies among member states as it prepares to begin trade talks with the bloc in March after EU leaders agreed last week that “sufficient progress” had been made in the first phase of negotiations.

Barnier’s Stance

It’s also a rejection of the verdict of EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier. He used an interview published on Monday in the Guardian newspaper to rule out a special deal for the U.K. financial services industry, saying Britain had made one impossible as a result of its decision to leave the single market.

“My view is that U.K.-EU relationship should stay close to where it is now and that the new agreement on economic and trade cooperation should be reached as quickly as possible to ensure clarity for businesses on both sides,” Morawiecki said in a press conference alongside May earlier on Thursday, warning against “dangerous” protectionism.

Britain has stepped up its defense of financial and professional services in recent days, with May and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney on Wednesday sending the message that Europe needs Britain’s banks as much as they need access to European markets. The importance of the industry to Britain is clear: TheCityUK, an industry body, estimates that it employs more than 2.2 million people and contributes nearly 11 percent of economic output.

At the end of a week which started with Barnier’s hardline stance and also saw May forced to fire Damian Green, one of her closest political allies, over pornography allegations, May said the meeting in Warsaw was a cause for optimism.

May’s Optimism

“The impression I’ve had from other European leaders is they’re looking forward to the discussions on trade, they see the importance of this,” May said. “I’m looking optimistically at the talks that we’re going to be having because the important thing is it’s not just in our interests but in the interests of the EU 27.”

The prime minister said the financial sector should “take encouragement” from the fact that her government “recognizes the importance of financial services and is clear that as we look ahead to our relationship for the future it’s important that we include services in that as well as goods,” she said.

May also spoke of her personal sadness at having to fire Green, who was found to have breached the ministerial code by lying about when he knew of allegations that pornography had been found on one of his office computers.

“I was very sad, he and I have known each other since university and he’s a good minister,” May told reporters. “But for me what was important was the cabinet secretary’s report,” she said. “It was clear there had been breaches of the ministerial code and it’s important we uphold the highest standards in public life.”