Cameron, Merkel set for talks on EU, immigration
LONDON ( AFP) — British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are set to thrash out his plans for renegotiating Britain’s relationship with the EU when they hold talks this week.
Merkel’s visit to London is part of a series of trips to foreign capitals to pave the way for the G7 summit she is hosting on June 7 and 8 in Bavaria.
The two leaders will also discuss bilateral issues as well as the areas of European policy that have tested relations between the pair over recent months, according to Berlin.
These include Cameron’s desire to limit the influx of immigrants from the EU into Britain, which he admitted in November would require a revision of European treaties.
Merkel has said she will oppose any challenge to the principle of free movement of labor within the bloc and is against treaty change, which would require huge upheaval and possible referendums in certain member states.
Cameron appears isolated in his battle, with the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker in December warning him against “beating up” on poorer east Europeans working legally in Britain.
The visit comes four months before Britain’s general election.
If he remains prime minister after the vote, Cameron intends to attempt a renegotiation of the terms of Britain’s membership then seek consent for that settlement through a referendum by the end of 2017 at the latest.
While Cameron wants Britain to stay inside a reformed EU, “If I don’t get what is needed, I rule nothing out,” he told The
Mail on Sunday newspaper.