BREXIT IN CRISIS
Now vengeful Macron turns screw with harsh terms for Brexit delay
EMMANUEL Macron clashed with EU leaders last night as he laid down a series of humiliating conditions as the price for a Brexit extension.
At a crunch summit in Brussels, the French president told heads of state Britain should be stripped of its veto over EU decisions so it cannot ‘obstruct’ the bloc’s agenda.
He also stressed the UK must be frozen out of any meaningful say on future trade policy in the event of a customs union compromise deal on Brexit. Admitting he would be ‘impatient’ with Theresa May as he arrived at last night’s summit, he said: ‘We have a European renaissance to run and I don’t want Brexit to come and block us on this.
‘It is with great impatience that I will listen to Theresa May but, as far as I’m concerned, nothing should be taken for granted.’
Mr Macron led a smaller group of leaders fighting for a shorter extension over fears a longer one could see the UK sabotage future EU business.
Last night it was reported that a fresh draft of the EU Council’s conclusions had added a section requiring the UK to refrain from jeopardising the union’s objectives ‘when participating in the decision-making processes of the union’.
The conclusions were also beefed up to say member states and the EU Commission will be able to ‘meet separately’ without Britain in the room for matters other than Brexit.
Mr Macron clashed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel who favoured a longer extension until the end of the year with fewer conditions.
Mrs Merkel was also said to have been at odds with Mr Macron over demanding a concrete plan from Mrs May, with the German leader saying simply that the most important goal was to avoid a No Deal Brexit.
Mrs May had asked for a shorter delay until June 30, but a majority of EU leaders appeared to be leaning towards a longer one of until at least the end of the year. Heads of government were also divided over what conditions to attach.
Those in favour of a longer delay believe it will focus the minds of Brexiteers into voting for the Prime Minister’s deal at a fourth time of asking.
The Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Poland and Hungary were all open to a longer extension.
However, France, Slovenia, Austria and Spain all argued for shorter, believing it would exert pressure on cross-party talks to reach a customs union compromise with Labour.
Mrs May gave a speech and took questions from the EU27 for just over an hour last night before leaving. The leaders then tucked into a dinner of warm scallop salad, cod with brown shrimps and iced macadamia nut parfait, with talks going on into the night.
Arriving at the summit, several leaders said they expected a long extension to be granted but only if Mrs May could give assurances Britain would not sabotage the bloc’s future decision-making process.
Mr Macron said he needed ‘clarity’ over this issue while Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said leaders needed to ensure Britain would remain ‘a loyal partner’. Belgian premier Charles Michel said: ‘We have to guarantee the stability and guarantee the well-functioning of the EU institutions.’
Mr Macron clashed with Irish premier Leo Varadkar over Britain having a say in future trade deals.
This is in the event Mrs May goes for a softer Brexit by agreeing a permanent customs union deal with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has said he would want Britain to have a say in EU trade policy should such a deal be struck.
But EU sources said Mr Macron had made it clear Britain should never gain a say in the bloc’s trade policy.
EU leaders last night appeared to considering the possibility of cutting any delay short if MPs approve Mrs May’s deal at the fourth time of asking.
Mr Macron led the fight against a longer extension, insisting he would back it only if EU leaders agreed to imposing strict conditions on Britain.
It is understood he was also in support of stripping Britain of its seat at the table of the bloc’s most powerful decision-making body, the EU Commission. Senior diplomats cast doubt over whether this would be legal.
Mr Macron urged leaders to add wording to the summit conclusions to the effect that ‘the UK will not obstruct decisions taken at EU27 level’. The draft conclusions already committed the UK ‘to act in a constructive and responsible manner in accordance with the duty of sincere cooperation’.
Under Mr Macron’s demands Mrs May would promise that Britain will not join alliances of EU countries seeking to block key decisions, such as on the bloc’s budget.
Some leaders also demanded clarity from Mrs May over whether she is serious about taking part in the European Parliament elections next month were an extension to go beyond then.
Member states are reluctant to go beyond April 2020 for a longer extension because that is when votes on major budget decisions loom. Sources said somewhere between the end of the year and then was most likely.
Speaking in the German parliament yesterday, Mrs Merkel said: ‘We should offer both parties a reasonable amount of time, because an orderly exit is only possible in cooperation with the UK.
‘We have our own expectations, which include ensuring that European institutions continue to function seamlessly. I think the extension should be as short as possible.
‘But it should be long enough to create calm, so we don’t have to meet every two weeks to talk about the same subject.’
‘Cannot obstruct our agenda’
CHALLENGED in the fevered Commons amphitheatre about the £1billion a month it will cost Britain to prolong leaving the EU, Theresa May could have been forgiven for treating her inquisitor as a simpleton.
However, displaying the patience of a teacher to a child, she pointed out: ‘We could actually have been outside by now.’
For nearly three years, the Prime Minister has shown extraordinary stamina and perseverance trying to disentangle the country from the tentacles of Brussels.
But despite Mrs May’s battle to secure an orderly Brexit, intractable MPs snubbed her deal – even though it meant regaining control of our money, laws and borders.
Obstinate Brexit hardliners whose ideological purity brooked no compromise, unyielding Europhiles desperate to reverse the referendum and Labour whipping up chaos to bring about a general election… all conspired to thwart her and – may they never forget it! – the will of the people.
So yesterday she was forced to beg for an extension. In one of the most demeaning episodes in Britain’s proud history, the country that stood up to Hitler had its future decided by minnows such as Latvia and Lithuania. How humiliating!
A year-long delay is likely, but with punishing Ts&Cs, possibly including the farce of electing MEPs and losing our veto to stop us throwing spanners in EU cogs.
Ironically, on the day our leader grovelled, figures showed ordinary families have been getting on with the task of keeping the economy going, with GDP growth easily outgunning the floundering Eurozone.
If that is what the UK can do with a dysfunctional Government and vainglorious politicians revelling in turmoil, just imagine if they’d not made a pig’s ear of Brexit!