Merkel and May plan extra summit

A SPECIAL sitting of the European Council could take place in September to deal with the Brexit crisis. European leaders want to upgrade an informal summit in Salzburg, Austria, a month before the crucial October meeting in Brussels at which a final deal must be completed.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar revealed yesterday that discussions were under way between British prime minister Theresa May and German chancellor Angela Merkel to change the Salzburg summit to a Brexit discussion, in a bid to avert a ‘no-deal’ Brexit. He raised the prospect with Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz during Mr Kurz’s visit to Dublin at the weekend. Austria currently holds the EU presidency. Discussing the issue, Mr Varadkar told the Dáil yesterday: ‘It is too soon to make that judgment call, but it is certainly an option.

‘We will all be there together in Austria on September 20 and it might be a good time for us to all talk together about Brexit, but we will make that judgment call nearer the time’.