06 October 2019

The Guardian: Macron gives Johnson until end of week to overhaul Brexit plan

The French president has given Boris Johnson until the end of the week to fundamentally revise his Brexit plan, in a move that increases the chances of the negotiations imploding within days.

The UK proposals tabled last week are not regarded in Brussels as being a basis for a deal and Emmanuel Macron emphasised it was up to the UK to think again before an upcoming EU summit.

After declining to meet with the prime minister in person, Macron further insisted during a phone call on Sunday that the talks would only be advanced through Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator.

“Boris Johnson presented his latest proposals,” an official at the Élysée Palace said of the conversation. “The president told him that the negotiations should continue swiftly with Michel Barnier’s team in coming days, in order to evaluate at the end of the week whether a deal is possible that respects European Union principles.” [...]

Meanwhile Latvia’s prime minister, Krišjānis Kariņš, told the BBC the onus was on Johnson to make a move. He said: “If the offer from the UK turns out to be a take-it-or-leave-it, it’s going to be very difficult I see in agreeing. It’s fully dependent on the will of Mr Johnson because from the European side, we’re always open and looking towards a deal.”

Given the gap in positions, senior EU sources said Brussels had all but written off the chance of a deal being struck and that the onus was now on avoiding blame.

“Increasingly capitals have the impression the legal text was tabled to be rejected and never meant to a basis for discussion,” said one EU diplomat. [...]

Full article on The Guardian

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