Australian negotiators are expected to start work in November on a free-trade agreement with a European Union that – contrary to the post-Brexit pessimism of a few months ago – suddenly sees itself thrust into a new and much more important role in the world.

A combination of circumstances – most notably Brexit, the failure of populist anti-EU movements at Dutch and French elections, a reviving economy, and US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement – has fed a renewed confidence in the EU.