May has plunged Brexit into chaos, taunt Eurocrats
EUROPEAN leaders last night accused Theresa May of plunging the UK – and Brexit negotiations – into chaos.
Some politicians in Brussels even suggested they may try to halt a deal if she does not stand down.
EU chiefs, many of whom had secretly hoped the Tory leader would score a handsome election victory to boost the chances of reaching a Brexit deal swiftly, criticised her poll gamble.
In a clear attempt to take the upper hand as Mrs May scrambled to form a government, they piled on pressure by warning that the ‘clock is ticking’.
Some leaders claimed that the Prime Minister had been stripped of credibility after scoring a political ‘own goal’. Despite Mrs May’s assurances that Brexit talks will start on June 19 as previously agreed, Eurocrats questioned her ability to lead negotiations after her electoral debacle.
European Council president Donald Tusk warned the UK that Brexit is an urgent issue that cannot be delayed by in-fighting in the Tory Party.
‘We don’t know when Brexit talks start,’ he said. ‘We know when they must end.’
In a letter to Mrs May, he said: ‘Our shared responsibility and urgent task now is to conduct the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union in the best possible spirit. There is no time to waste.’
The UK is allowed to ask for extensions to the negotiating period, but this must be agreed to by every EU member.
Such a request could provoke serious clashes with leading powers such as Germany and France, who are reluctant to let the UK control the Brexit timetable.
Mr Tusk’s thinly-veiled threat was backed by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, who reiterated that the bloc is ‘desperate’ to begin talks. ‘ We can open negotiations tomorrow morning at half-past nine,’ he said. ‘I hope that the result of the election will have no major impact on the negotiations we are desperately waiting for.’
With both sides privately desperate to reach a deal, Mrs May had hoped for a huge majority that would allow her to block the EU’s most outlandish demands, including payment of an £85billion divorce bill.
The EU, meanwhile, was convinced that a strong electoral performance would give her more flexibility to make concessions during talks without opposition from Tor y Eurosceptics.
As it became clear that she had lost her majority, leading European figures turned on the Prime Minister and goaded her for taking a gamble and losing.
Manfred Weber, a key ally of Germany’s Angela Merkel, said: ‘The EU is united, the UK is deeply split. May wanted stability but brought chaos to her country instead. The time is running and instability is not in our interest.’
Gianni Pittella, socialist leader of the European Parliament’s second biggest group, said: ‘Her huge gamble has backfired spectacularly. She has no credibility in UK or Europe. She should resign… It’s a disaster for May.’
EU commissioner Pierre Moscovici suggested that the Prime Minister’s ability to stand up to the EU at the negotiating table had been damaged. ‘Mrs May, who was supposed to emerge strengthened, lost her bet and is therefore in a less-than-clear situation,’ he said.
EU budget commissioner Gunther Oettinger said: ‘With a weak negotiating partner, there’s the danger than the negotiations will turn out badly for both sides...I expect more uncertainty now.’
The barrage of criticism towards Mrs May followed a war of words that had already tarnished relations. It broke out during the election campaign when EU officials leaked details of a Downing Street dinner.
EU officials were caught offguard when the Prime Minister responded to the distorted briefings by publicly accusing ‘bureaucrats in Brussels’ of trying to sabotage the election.
The move infuriated many in Brussels, who were also left frustrated at repeat threats from British ministers about walking away from talks.
But while figures in EU officials queued up to criticise Mrs May’s election performance, the bloc’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier called for calm.
Distancing himself from the European Parliament’s Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt, who said talks had become ‘even more complicated’, Mr Barnier said the Brexit process would start when the UK is ready. ‘Let’s put our minds together on striking a deal,’ he said.
Insiders have become increasingly concerned that talks will be plagued by walkouts and disruptions because of the EU’s uncompromising demands, such as the continued jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.
When the Article 50 exit clause was triggered, it began a twoyear negotiating period meaning that talks have to be agreed by March 29, 2019.
Brussels was irritated when Mrs May called the election, believing it caused further delays that make the chances of reaching a deal within the time frame even more difficult.
France’s prime minister Edouard Philippe yesterday attempted to quell suggestions that the UK could reverse its decision to leave the EU.
‘I’m not sure that we should read, from the results of this vote that Britons’ sovereign decision on Brexit has been cast into doubt in any way,’ he said.
Officials are due to meet next week to start planning how to structure negotiations.
‘The EU is united, the UK is deeply split’