MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

French mayor threatens with a “Falklands' war” if no accord is reached on UK/EU fishing waters

Couvillier said the Royal Navy should instead be used to help migrants drowning in the English Channel.

The French Mayor Frederic Couvillier, of the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer, has threatened the UK with a “Falklands War” pertaining the dispute over the fishing waters with the European Union. Furthermore, the mayor warned of the threat of an armed conflict in light of the looming Brexit deadline.

The Falklands War or South Atlantic conflict was a 10-week undeclared war following the Argentine invasion in 1982 over two British dependent territories: the Falkland Islands and its territorial dependency, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The result of the war was a British victory.

Nevertheless, Belgium is demanding the access of their fishing vessels into the British waters after the Brexit deal, but UK wants to maintain sovereignty over these territories and make them an exclusive zone to be used by the UK only. UK does not owe the European Union members any courtesies after leaving the EU.

In the future, it is going to be purely for the economic interests of the UK. If no new agreement is reached, the UK will be transitioning on January 1 under the terms of the World Trade Organization. In turn, it would lead to the fact that a large number of the products traded by the UK and the EU will be subject to hefty tariffs.

Moreover, the UK plans to send four warships to protect the fishing waters from incursions, if the new deal with the EU is not finalized. The French mayor responses is “Do you really want the Falklands War on your doorstep? Talking about warships may flatter the jingoist ego on both sides of the Channel, but it will not help to reach an agreement, ”

Couvillier said the Royal Navy should instead be used to help migrants drowning in the English Channel. At present, the trade discussions between London and Brussels reached an impasse in regards to the dispute of the EU accessing the British fishing waters.