A few hours from now, at 6 p.m. EST, Britain will no longer be a member of the European Union. It’s a big victory for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but one he won’t be able to savor for long. A major battle for the economic future of Britain and the EU is now set to begin.

It’s a battle in which the EU holds a distinctly political objective. The key here is that President Emmanuel Macron of France and the EU executive leadership are determined to show that it is better to be inside the EU club than outside of it. Macron’s fear is that Britain will now ease the burden of its regulatory and tax regimes, thus incentivizing foreign investment and expanded trade. And that this success will harm less efficient EU economies.