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With no deal in sight yet, the EU and Britain agreed to further extend their Brexit talks. However, Premier Johnson believes that failure is the most likely option.
By Imke Koehler, ARD-Studio London
Not everyone on the island is delighted that negotiations are continuing. One of the Brexiters, Sir John Redwood, warned in a tweet that a complex treaty that would unite Britain with the EU in many ways and thus hinder it was not the Christmas present the country needed.
But many people are relieved that it is not over yet, that the possibility of a deal still exists. The statement by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sounded a bit more positive than the one made after dinner with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson last Wednesday. Now it is speculated what that could mean and where there could have been an approximation.
“Far apart at some crucial points”
Johnson himself, however, dampens expectations. “As things stand, and Ursula von der Leyen and I agree, we are still very far apart on some crucial points,” said the head of government. “But we’ll keep talking to see what we can do.”
Britain will not abandon the negotiations, Johnson said. “We are expected to go the extra mile. But I have to repeat: we will most likely have to abide by the terms of the WTO.” That, in turn, would mean that in the end there would be no deal. On Saturday night, the British government described the EU position as unacceptable.
Ireland demands more effort
Meanwhile, Britain’s neighbor Ireland never tires of demanding a deal. Anything else would be a failure of the art of government, Prime Minister Micheál Martin stressed again on the British station BBC. “With all their might, both sides must concentrate on continuing to negotiate to reach an agreement,” he said.
Competitive conditions remain a central point of discussion in the negotiations. If the British government has its way, the UK should not be bound by EU rules in the long run. And the idea that the EU could impose tariffs on British goods in the future to punish Britain for not wanting to adopt new EU standards is causing chagrin among ruling conservatives.
Labor criticizes the government’s position
Labor politician and shadow economy minister Ed Miliband doubts the government’s logic: it is apparently willing to accept a no-deal that includes extensive tariffs, only to avoid a deal that theoretically foresees tariffs on individual products in the future. might. “That doesn’t make any sense. It’s like saying: my roof could leak in five years, then we better tear the house down,” Miliband said.
At the same time, the Labor Party does not want to promise that it will back a deal under any circumstances. The agreement will be read first if there is one, he said. Also in Britain it is now suspected that MEPs may have to vote at Christmas.
