EU’s gloating leaders: It’s No Deal or Norway
EU leaders warned yesterday that Britain faces a choice between No Deal and a softer ‘ Norway- style’ Brexit if Theresa May fails to win approval for her deal.
French president Emmanuel Macron was the first to throw down the gauntlet.
He said the first option would be to bring forward ‘new proposals’ – code for a softer Brexit. This would have to be done by April 12, the new exit date agreed by both sides if the deal is not approved. The second choice would be No Deal, he insisted.
He was joined by EU Council president Donald Tusk, Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar, Dutch premier Mark Rutte and Danish leader Lars Lokke Rasmussen at the second day of an EU summit in Brussels.
Mr Varadkar said the extension agreed after marathon talks at the summit on Thursday was designed to give Britain ‘a little breathing space’ to consider its options. If Mrs May’s deal is not approved these would be either No Deal or a ‘much closer relationship with the EU’.
In a joint press conference with EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, Mr Tusk echoed the comments: ‘Until April 12 anything is possible: a deal, a long extension if the UK decided to rethink its strategy [towards a softer Brexit], or revoking Article 50. The fate of Brexit is in the hands of our British friends.’
Mr Rutte said ‘a whole area’ of new options would have to be considered, while Mr Rasmussen said: ‘If they don’t want a hard Brexit and want to redefine their own red lines and negotiate a whole new package that’s a possibility.’
It came as EU leaders and officials appeared to taunt Britain by posting tweets praising the European Economic Area model of remaining attached to the EU.
Also known as the ‘Norway model’, it is favoured by pro-Remain MPs and involves staying in the single market and accepting freedom of movement of people. It is made up of Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Mr Varadkar and Mr Tusk both tweeted praising the model yesterday on the 25th anniversary of its formation. Meanwhile the bloc’s top civil servant Martin Selmayr posted twice about it, praising it as ‘a welltested, successful model for close economic integration between the EU and its neighbours’.
In a clear jibe at Britain, Mr Varadkar, who has often criticised Mrs May for refusing to shift her red lines, tweeted: ‘Good to meet up with the Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein PMs. All in the single market for 25 years but not in the EU. Sensible solutions are possible once red lines don’t restrict them.’
A cross-party group of MPs claims the model is gaining popularity in Parliament. It came as more details emerged about Thursday night’s talks between EU leaders over what sort of Brexit delay to offer the UK.
After Mrs May had left the room, Mr Macron is said to have commented that he had gone into the summit thinking there was a 10 per cent chance British MPs would vote her deal through.
‘After listening to her, I now think 5 per cent,’ he is said to have added.
According to sources, Mr Tusk then jibed: ‘That’s a bit optimistic.’
‘Sensible solutions are possible’