Macron’s call for fast Brexit betrays split between allies

James Crisp

Peter Foster

EMMANUEL MACRON has exposed deep European divisions over Brexit and isolated himself from Germany after attempting to force Britain out of the EU as quickly as possible.

The French president reluctantly agreed to a six-month Brexit extension after almost seven hours of talks between EU leaders overnight on Wednesday that placed the bloc’s hitherto united front on Brexit under deep strains.

The gap between the positions of Mr Macron and Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, left the EU’S core Franco-german alliance visibly divided after two years trying to build a united front around plans for an EU “renaissance” after Brexit.

Efforts to choreograph a common position at a pre-summit meeting between Mr Macron and Mrs Merkel reportedly broke down after just 10 minutes.

The divisions bode poorly for the EU’S major renewal summit in Sibu, Romania, next month.

The EU’S 27 governments remain split over fundamental issues including immigration, eurozone budget constraints, the EU army concept and how to address the rise of populist governments in Hungary, Italy and Poland.

Of the 27 EU member states, only France seriously suggested denying Theresa May the extension that would avoid no-deal Brexit tonight, in a bid to pressure MPS to pass the Withdrawal Agreement that the House of Common has already rejected four times.

An isolated Mr Macron eventually backed down, agreeing to a six-month extension up to Oct 31 after securing “fig leaf ” assurances that Britain would not try to meddle maliciously in the EU’S affairs during the period.

“It is true that the majority was more in favour of a very long extension,” Mr Macron conceded in the early hours of yesterday morning before claiming victory.

“But it was not logical in my view, and above all, it was neither good for us, nor for the British people.”

Mrs Merkel personally favoured a longer extension than the June 30 requested by Mrs May on Wednesday night, in order to create time and space for a different approach to Brexit.

In a clear sign that the EU’S Francogerman engine was sputtering over the issue, Mrs Merkel said: “It’s important now that the EU does not exert pressure here on Great Britain.

“We have to have ways and means to ensure that the Withdrawal Agreement is adhered to. It’s not important whether it’s that date or another one.”

The pro-eu Mr Macron is believed to want to use Britain’s plight as an example to convince French voters not to support the Eurosceptic National Rally in the European Parliament elections.

Norbett Röttgen, the chairman of Germany’s foreign affairs committee, attacked Mr Macron for putting his plunging popularity at home before the European project.

“A longer Brexit extension would have been better. But Macron prioritised his own election campaign and interests over European unity,” he said.

And in a sign of Mr Macron’s further willingness to go out on a limb, France announced yesterday it would be the only EU member to vote against the start of EU-US trade talks in a protest at President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate accords.