For a moment it seemed that France wanted to add to the wine to keep the United Kingdom (UK) closer to the European Union (EU). With this, the country hopes to prevent a Brexit under agreement with the EU. That reports Business Insider.
Alexandre Holroyd, the French representative for Northern Europe, refers those rumors to the realm of fables. He lets on Business Insider know that France is unwilling to compromise with the UK in order to avert a no-deal Brexit. "The European internal market is sacred to our country."
In recent weeks there have been rumors that France was willing to... the so-called Checkers plan from British Prime Minister Theresa May. In addition, London continues to follow some of the European rules, without being able to influence them. In exchange, the UK could make its own policy for fisheries and agriculture and would no longer have to admit European citizens under the principle of free movement: a 'soft Brexit' in other words.
However, it is unclear what exactly should be done with the Irish issue. May does not want border controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (a member of the EU), but also not between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. The EU and the UK have yet to come to an agreement on this thorny issue.
Checkers plan is a step in the right direction
Holroyd, who traveled to Denmark and Finland with French President Macron at the end of August, tells Business Insider that France would prefer to close a deal with the UK before March 29, 2019. "We're not going to jeopardize 70 years of European integration," said Holroyd.
He calls the British Prime Minister's Checkers plan a step in the right direction. And although France would rather not want a 'no deal', the country is not prepared to risk the stability of the internal European market for this.
"If you look at which side of the Channel they're most concerned, it's obvious which side it is," said Holroyd. "But those concerns are not enough to risk a project we've been building together for 70 years. We need to get an agreement that is workable and that ensures the long-term future of the single market."
Do the British live on another planet?
Nathalie Loiseau, the French Minister of European Affairs, expressed similar words on September 5. "I read the British newspapers every day and sometimes wonder if we live on the same planet," she told the Evening Standard. "We are not going to tamper with our basic principles because the UK no longer wants to be part of the EU. We have put our demands on the table and they are non-negotiable."
Michel Barnier, the EU negotiator, is also critical of the Checkers plan. "The Brexit agreement must not come at the expense of who we are. We must preserve and protect what makes us," he told the newspaper. German Deutschlandfunk.
The biggest obstacle in the negotiations
In the British media, the French government has been portrayed as stubborn. William Hague, the former Secretary of State, said that British negotiators see France as the biggest obstacle to closing a deal. According to Holroyd, France is not the only Member State to do so. "There are many small Member States that have exactly the same opinion as France."
The Netherlands sit according to Holroyd also in that camp. "The Dutch value the rule of law, especially in a European context. Any compromise with regard to the internal market is unacceptable to them." Poland is also against a 'tailor-made Brexit', says Holroyd. "Ask the Polish Foreign Minister about Poland's rights in the UK. He is just as adamant as the rest of Europe's leaders."
Boris Johnson's Coup?
Incidentally, there is still a lot of political opposition to May's plan. This is because a 'soft Brexit' does not go far enough for the proponents of Brexit. They want to break free from the EU in its entirety, even if there is no deal. However, calculations by the British government do not favor this scenario for the economy. A report from the Treasury Department stated that the UK was under the WTO rules Will see 8% less growth in the next 15 years.
It is also rumbling within the Conservative Party. Boris Johnson, former Secretary of State, would work on a coup to replace May. Johnson would like to present an alternative plan to leave the EU. In The Telegraph Johnson wrote that May is getting nothing out of the fire in the negotiations. "The matter is as pre-cooked as a show wrestling match. And in this case I fear the outcome will be an EU victory, with the UK going against the canvas, with 12 stars symbolically spinning around our semi-conscious heads."
In short: the British soap continues. That while there are only about 5 weeks to go until the important summit of European heads of government. The aim was initially to reach an agreement on Brexit in October, but there is a good chance that this will happen in November at the earliest.
Read more on Business Insider:
- 'Only 1 in 5 Dutch companies are actively preparing for Brexit'
- Brexit deadline: this chart shows all the key decision moments
- 'Minister Hoekstra calls ING to account for money laundering issue'
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