In Brexit’s City of Spies, Eavesdroppers Are Everywhere
- U.K. negotiator overheard talking strategy in a Brussels bar
- British officials were warned to be more cautious in public
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When the U.K.’s chief Brexit negotiator was overheard offering a startling insight into government strategy in a Brussels bar on Monday night, many diplomats were surprised it hadn’t happened sooner.
The Belgian capital, home to the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, hums to the sound of snatches of conversation in busy cafes, while government officials hand over secret documents to reporters on street corners. With 5,400 diplomats, 40,000 EU employees and almost 1,000 permanently resident journalists from over 30 countries, the city where Brexit is being negotiated thrives on eavesdropping, gossip and subterfuge.