UK officially leaves the European Union

 The British officially left the European Union on Thursday evening, after four and a half years of a brexit saga full of twists and turns.

After half a century of European integration, Big Ben's gongs rang at 11 p.m. (local and GMT) in London, or midnight in Brussels. Brexit has become a reality for the country, which officially left the EU on January 31 but benefited from a transitional period to cushion the shock.

"The destiny of this great country now resides firmly in our hands," said Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the great architect of this exit, after the express ratification on Wednesday by the British Parliament of the free trade agreement signed. the same day with the European Union.

In Dover (south-east), whose port is at the forefront of trade with the EU, residents are divided between hope for a new era of prosperity and fear of disturbances, such as the recent monster truck queues in the zoned.

The trade deal reached in extremis avoids too abrupt a break and its potentially devastating consequences for the economy, but the free movement of goods and people to cross the border unimpeded will end.

Exporters and importers will face new formalities and goods may be slowed down at borders by controls. Financial companies, a major sector in London, will lose their automatic right to offer their services in the EU. And UK universities will no longer be eligible for the Erasmus exchange program.

French news : BREXIT Official