So farewell then Michel Barnier, who has finally left the European Commission after about 15 years in the upper echelons of Brussels power-broking. Had it not been for Brexit, the urbane Frenchman would be best remembered in Britain for his spell as Internal Market Commissioner, during which he introduced a raft of post-financial crisis regulation. After two spells as a commissioner, it looked like Mr Barnier’s time in Brussels ended with his failed bid to become commission president in 2014.