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Macron has made it clear that he wants France to maintain the same access to UK waters that it has now, but there are signs that other EU member states are unwilling to sacrifice a trade deal for the sake of fishing rights. French. And an exclusive Express.co.uk poll found that the vast majority of readers thought the two sides should sidestep the French president’s demands and go ahead with a deal.
A whopping 83 percent (4,340 people) thought the UK and the EU should strike a deal without Macron.
Only 16 percent (806 people) thought it was wrong to leave Paris aside, while 1 percent (82 people) said they didn’t know.
A total of 5,228 readers participated in the online survey that opened today at 12:30 pm and closed at 10:30 pm.
One Express.co.uk reader said: “Macron should stand firm. No deal is a much better outcome for us. Boris cannot compromise if there is no deal.
Another said: “No fishing! They are our natural resources. Once fishing is linked to trade, we will never get rid of them and they will not abide by the rules we establish.”
“No deal is the only way to break free from EU rules and harassment. Everything is still in favor of the EU.”
Another reader said: “It is a dead end situation for Macron, who knows that if there is no agreement or a fishing agreement, he will be out of work.”
Another said, “Don’t make a deal with these criminals. No deal is the best deal and go.”
And another said: “Fishing rights. What part of ‘are our waters’ don’t you understand?”
UK chief negotiator David Frost and his Brussels counterpart Michel Barnier plan to pursue “mini deals” if the EU Summit fails to reach a comprehensive trade deal this week.
This would help save parts of the deal that have already been agreed upon, while also leaving room for more talks on areas of disagreement like state aid.
READ MORE: Brexit LIVE: Boris Johnson ready to exit the agreement with the EU
Reaching an agreement on fisheries has proven to be a major obstacle for the UK and the EU throughout their trade negotiations.
And some politicians fear a deal will be lost due to the clash over fisheries.
French MP Jean-Pierre Pont, who represents Boulogne’s main fishing port and is also a member of Macron’s La Republique En Marche, admitted that a no-deal Brexit would be disastrous for his country.
Barnier and Frost are understood to be getting closer to a deal after another week of talks, but both sides also have plans for a no-deal scenario.
A senior EU diplomat said: “We need to get a little more from the UK side before Barnier is ready to go into the tunnel.”
Johnson’s spokesman said the two sides are still at odds on “important issues.”
The spokesperson said: “We have had useful discussions this week and progress has been made in some areas. However, there are still differences on some important issues.”
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