European capitals talk tough ahead of Prime Minister’s mission to Brussels
A handful of EU member states are ready to veto a Brexit delay if their conditions are not met, according to reports on the eve of Theresa May’s trip to Brussels in search of an extension to Article 50.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has warned an extension will not be granted without a “concrete plan” from Mrs May for “something new”.
Sources have said France, Spain, Belgium and Italy stand prepared to reject an extension without evidence Parliament is now ready to accept a deal and “the deadlock can be broken”.
But Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar threw his weight behind an extension, saying he was “willing to cut the British government some slack”.
One European diplomatic source said: “We’re not against an extension per se but we need to have two things – first a demonstration that the situation has changed and there is a guarantee the extension is for something and second that an extension won’t be detrimental to the EU.
“Yes, a no-deal Brexit would be damaging and it’s absolutely not what we want but I think we’re ready to go to this situation because there are only two solutions – either a deal is accepted or there is no deal.
“The deal has been rejected and it keeps being rejected so if we come to no-deal then so be it.”
An unconfirmed report in French news magazine Le Point suggested that president Emmanuel Macron will argue against any postponement beyond 29 March.
It is understood French president Mr Macron believes Brexit is holding up his plans for radical reform of the EU and needs to be brought to a conclusion.
Speaking at the National Assembly ahead of the meeting of EU leaders today, French foreign minister Jean-yves Le Drian set three criteria that Britain must meet if Mrs May is to be granted a Brexit extension.
Mr Le Drian warned the UK will likely crash out of the bloc without a deal if the conditions are not met.
He said Mrs May must convince leaders the purpose of the delay is “to finalise the ratification of the deal already negotiated”, and not an attempt to renegotiate the deal agreed last November.
But Mr Varadkar warned there was a “real risk” of a “nodeal happening by accident” without compromise.
The Taoiseach said: “It’s time now to cut them some slack, to cut the British government some slack, when it comes to their request for an extension and when it comes to their request that the Strasbourg Agreement be ratified formally by the European Council over the next two days.
“There are some people who would take a much more hardline view that we shouldn’t agree to an extension.
“There are others who take a view that an extension should be granted unconditionally,” he said.
“The view I’m taking, and the view the Irish government is taking, is that we want to avoid no-deal on 29 March.”