Tusk says Brexit deal possible by end 2018
Palace begins clear-out
KRAKOW, Poland, Oct 6, (Agencies): European Council President Donald Tusk said on Saturday it was possible to agree a deal with Britain on leaving the European Union by the end of 2018.
Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Krakow, Poland, Tusk said: “We will try for it in October ... and I think there is a chance to have an accord by the end of the year.”
The chances of a Brexit agreement have grown in recent days, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Saturday, after weeks of growing fears that Britain could crash out of the EU without a deal.
With less than two weeks to go before a crunch summit in Brussels billed by the EU as the “moment of truth” for Brexit negotiations, Juncker gave an upbeat assessment of the chances of a deal.
The change in tone comes two days after EU Council President Donald Tusk gave London a stern warning that time was running out to strike a deal in time for Britain’s departure from the bloc at the end of March.
Deadlines in EU talks are notoriously elastic, and Juncker told Austrian media that if an agreement was not reached at the Oct 17 and 18 summit, he was confident it could be done in November.
“I have reason to believe that the potential for rapprochement between the two sides has increased in recent days,” Juncker said in comments reported by the Standard newspaper.
“But it is not possible to predict whether we will be able to conclude the talks in October. If not, we will do so in November.”
May has been invited to address the other 27 EU leaders over dinner on Oct 17, to give her a chance to convince her peers that a solution can be found to the sticking points in Britain’s tortuous negotiations to leave the bloc.
Diplomats have suggested the leaders could talk through the night and approve the outlines of an agreement while they are still in Brussels for the broader Oct 18 talks.
At their annual conference this week, May urged her Conservative party – which is bitterly divided between Brexit hardliners and moderates – to unite behind her negotiating stance during what she warned would be the “toughest phase” of talks.
Juncker said the EU was determined to reach an agreement to avoid a “no deal” Brexit, which experts say would cause chaos for both sides.
“I believe that we must distance ourselves from this no deal scenario,” the former Luxembourg prime minister said.
“We are not there yet. But our will to reach an understanding with the British government remains unbroken.”
The European Court of Justice has set a Nov 27 date for a hearing to decide whether Britain’s parliament can unilaterally change its mind on Brexit, a legal source told Reuters, adding that the case is moving fast.
Tusk
LONDON:
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Thousands of works of art, clocks, chandeliers and furniture have begun being removed from Buckingham Palace as part of a major refit, royal officials said Friday.
More than 200 rooms over six floors of the east wing, which faces out onto The Mall, will be emptied over the next six months to prepare for the replacement of ageing electrics and pipework.
Objects being removed include 200 paintings, 40 chandeliers, 100 mirrors, 30 clocks, 200 books, 40 historic textiles and 560 items of everyday furniture, from beds to desks and chairs.
It is part of a £369 million ($481 million), 10-year project to upgrade Queen Elizabeth II’s London residence, which officials fear is at risk of a “potentially catastrophic” failure that includes fires and floods.