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The fish has proven to be one of the hardest parts for the negotiating teams of a Brexit trade deal to swallow, but it was served to Boris Johnson on a plate during crucial talks in Brussels.
The British Prime Minister dined on a scallop starter and a main course of steamed turbot when he met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tonight.
The two leaders were joined by their top negotiators and officials for a three-course dinner at the Berlaymont building with the aim of breaking the deadlock in the protracted trade talks.
Negotiations have failed on fishing rights, among other issues, and the Commission’s menu will be seen by some as a scathing gesture, but as a sign that it has a sense of humor for others.
Mr. Johnson and Mrs. Von der Leyen were served pumpkin and scallop soup to start, followed by a main course of steamed turbot, wasabi mashed potatoes, and vegetables.
For dessert, they ate pavlova with exotic fruits and coconut sorbet, but the Commission failed to serve another popular meringue and cream dessert, the Eton Mess, believed to have originated in the prime minister’s alma mater.
The starter may evoke memories of the “scallop wars” in 2018, when the British and French fishing fleets clashed in a dispute over access to fishing grounds in the Bay of Seine.
But the fish-themed menu will certainly remind Johnson and Ms Von der Leyen of the headache they face when reaching an agreement on access to UK waters after December 31st.
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