“Happy Brexit Day!” Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, like his successor Rishi Sunak, may have appreciated the opportunities provided by Brexit, but on Tuesday, the third anniversary of the historic break with the European Union was sadly marked, writes AFP.

In the midst of a social crisis, Britain doesn’t have much to be happy about, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) gave the thumbs up on Tuesday.

According to the latest forecast, the country will be the only major economy to be hit by a recession this year, with its economy shrinking by 0.6%. Even Russia, at war and under sanctions, expects growth.

Britain has been dealing with over 10% inflation and union action for months. Strikes unprecedented in 10 years are expected on Wednesday, especially in education and transport.

Three prime ministers have changed in the past year and Northern Ireland has been politically paralyzed as London tries to persuade Brussels to return to its post-Brexit status.

Despite promises of border controls and consistent plans to crack down on immigration, the number of illegal Channel crossings is on the rise.

Three years after Big Ben’s gong to signal the divorce on January 31st at 11pm local time, the promise of freedom found by those who backed Brexit seem distant and now is the time for Bregret in public opinion.

According to an Ipsos poll published on Monday, 45% of Britons think Brexit is going worse than they expected, up from just 28% in June 2021. Nine percent think the opposite.

Driven out of Downing Street last summer after an avalanche of scandals, Boris Johnson displayed the same steely optimism that helped him win the election at the end of 2019 and deliver Brexit after years of political psychodrama.

“Happy Brexit Day!” he wrote on Twitter along with a video urging him to “put aside all the negativity I’m hearing about Brexit and remember the opportunities that lie ahead.”

But even from the government’s side, enthusiasm was more moderate: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, although an early supporter of Brexit, limited himself to a statement in which he highlighted “the huge progress made in taking advantage of the freedoms offered by Brexit”.

The Downing Street statement was quite technical, highlighting the “enormous opportunities” for the economy, such as the creation of free ports, tax zones and deregulation after Brexit, which is still pending.

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