WRATH OF THE EUROCRATS
We’ll hurt the British, snarls Hollande – as Brussels bites back over May’s trade deal threat
THE EU’s most powerful figures lined up last night to warn Brexit would be ‘painful’ – as they rejected one of Britain’s key demands out of hand.
The European Parliament refused to countenance the idea of negotiating a trade deal alongside exit talks, which Theresa May had insisted was vital to their success.
German chancellor Angela Merkel also appeared to reject the demand, saying Britain and the EU had to ‘disentangle’ before they could determine their future relationship.
French president Francois Hollande went further, saying Brexit would ‘hurt the British’ and be ‘economically painful’. And European Council president Donald Tusk told the Prime Minister to prepare for ‘damage control’.
The European Parliament published a list of demands, insisting that it would veto any Brexit deal unless its lengthy conditions were met.
Among the audacious requests was a demand for European judges to maintain jurisdiction over Britain for several years to come, and an insistence that there should be no special market access for the City.
Mr Tusk was first to react, speaking just minutes after Mrs May delivered her historic address to Parliament.
Speaking on behalf of the 27 remaining EU members, he acknowledged that Brexit could prove hugely damaging for the bloc. But he appeared to taunt the UK by saying that almost half of Britons wanted to Remain – and insisting that he would not allow the EU to be bullied during talks.
‘There is no reason to pretend that this is a happy day, neither in Brussels, nor in London,’ he said. ‘After all most Europeans, including almost half the British voters, wish that we would stay together, not drift apart.’
Addressing the divisions which have ripped through European politics in recent months, the former Polish premier insisted that he could instill unity among the remaining EU members. But he finished his short address with a downbeat lament for Britain’s departure, saying: ‘What more can I add to this? We already miss you.’
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, said the long-awaited delivery of the Article 50 letter to Brussels marked the ‘first day of a very long and difficult road’.
Mrs May yesterday insisted that she wanted to negotiate a trade deal with the EU at the same time as conducting talks on Britain’s departure.
But Mrs Merkel appeared to position herself in opposition to this, calling for the UK to settle EU demands for a huge ‘divorce bill’ first. She said: ‘The negotiations must first clarify how we will disentangle our interlinked relationship...and only when this question is dealt with, can we, hopefully soon after, begin talking about our future relationship.’
Mr Hollande said Brexit would be ‘sentimentally painful’ for the Europeans but ‘economically painful’ for Britain. He added: ‘We have for Great Britain an unlimited affection. It is not our intention to punish them. But when a country is no longer in the EU, they will no longer have the advantages of the EU.’
The most damning threats yesterday were issued by the European Parliament, which positioned itself as the EU’s main negotiating troublemaker. In a resolution setting out their demands, MEPs said they would block a favourable deal for the UK.
The clear challenge to Mrs May – who has vowed to end the UK jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice – saw MEPs insist that EU judges retain some power over Britain. Officials in both Britain and Brussels have accepted that a ‘transition period’, potentially lasting three years, will need to be implemented to avoid a ‘cliff edge’ departure. The draft resolution, drawn up by the European Parliament’s chief negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, insisted judges in Luxembourg should oversee this period rather than any other body.
Mr Verhofstadt also paved the way for the ECJ to rule on other key issues involving the UK, such as the rights of European citizens living here, for years to come. He said: ‘The withdrawal agreement will be an act of Union law ... that is naturally controlled by the European Court of Justice. It is as simple as that.’ He denied the hard-line approach was a ‘question of revenge’ and said the UK could reverse its decision to leave.
The document also warned EU leaders about seeking a special relationship with the City of London.
The demand is at odds with some of the EU’s most influential states, including Germany, who are determined to avoid market turmoil from breaking with the key financial hub.