MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Ahead of Macron's London visit, minister warns France does not rule out a post-Brexit “no deal” with UK
“We cannot exclude the prospect of a 'no deal' but we want to avoid it,” Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in an interview with the French daily La Croix (Pic Meae) France does not rule out Europe failing to reach a deal on its post-Brexit relationship with Britain but very much wants to avoid such an outcome, its foreign minister was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
“We cannot exclude the prospect of a 'no deal' but we want to avoid it,” Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in an interview with the French daily La Croix to be published on Wednesday.
“The British are playing against the clock but that is not always the way to reach a good agreement,” he added.
Britain, which left the EU in January, is negotiating a trade deal to govern relations after Dec 31, when it stops abiding by EU rules.
Le Drian's comments came as French President Emmanuel Macron visits Britain on Thursday for a visit expected to include talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
He said Britain apparently still had not understood the full meaning of Brexit even after formally leaving the European Union.
“When you are outside the Union, you do not enjoy the same advantages as when you are inside. You cannot have a foot in and a foot out”, he added.
“You have to choose and I am not sure that they have understood the full magnitude of their withdrawal,” Le Drian said.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules-
Read all commentsAhhhh, the penny is starting to drop, touching his concern how we “don’t seem to understand the full meaning of Brexit”.
Jun 17th, 2020 - 09:06 pm +1We keep hearing how “it cannot be the same outside the EU, as inside”, except apparently when it comes to fishing rights, they have to stay the same, outside as in.
Also so do EU regulations, state aid rules and employment and environmental standards apply the same outside as in, including future upgrades.
Not forgetting of course the jurisdiction of the ECJ still applies and the EHR act.
All this before we get to things like future carbon emissions levels.
The EU are currently negotiating on the basis of what they insist must remain the same for the UK outside the EU, as it was in. All the major sticking points are issues where the UK is insisting things have to change.
And someone really needs to explain to these Fraggles that a “Political Declaration” is simply that, a declaration, it doesn’t contain any commitments it is not legally binding in any way.
It is simply the outline starting point for future negotiations, not everything, or indeed anything in the PD, has to be in any final agreement.
Not to mention that much of what they are insisting upon now is not in the PD.
Johnny Foreigner Frog, speak with forked tongue, the sooner we are free of these Shits of the first water, the better.
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!