Brexit-the summit: a missed opportunity

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It had shown itself to be optimistic, to finally find a solution for the time after the Brexit. But not even a new Meeting in November is now safely. Christoph Hasselbach reports from Brussels.

Moved Theresa May, only on the red carpet, not the Brexit

No agreement with the UK, again. The 27 heads of state and heads of government have heard virtually nothing New to the British Prime Minister, Theresa May. Therefore, it is better not to talk too much. But this also means that there may be no special summit in mid-November for the Brexit. Because what is the sense of, if you finally come with the British to a conclusion? Although time is of the essence – the end of March, the UK leaves the EU with or without a contract, is not to come again. A Brexit without a contract threatens to lead to chaotic economic dislocation and uncertainty for millions of citizens.

A number of heads of government had shown in the course of the Evening, confident, but that probably once belonged to the good tone. May herself had only said vaguely: “A Deal is achievable, and now is the time to make it possible.” But concrete was not to become, above all, they had made no concessions. “A lot of what you have said was already known,” said the Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian disappointed Short. The EU had offered a longer transition period, when the British, in spite of Brexit hardly anything changes. EU Council President Donald Tusk was probably the only one who had publicly said he could see “no reason for optimism”. So he remained, finally, the Realist.

The other 27 heads of state and government had little to talk about

The unresolved Irish border question

As before, it comes to two main points: the rights of EU citizens after the British withdrawal and the border between Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the EU member Ireland. This limit would be a limit in the future, the EU foreign. It should be according to the view of both sides, not a fixed border with border plants and controls. But that will hardly avoid, when the United Kingdom and also Northern Ireland from the EU leaves the single market and the customs Union.

The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel was, like many others, relentlessly. You can only have a total package: “as Long as we have not clarified everything, we have no Deal, and no deal is still a possibility.” You can’t just give up the rules of the internal market. The provides for the free movement not only of Goods but also of services and people. The Goods would replace London like to continue with the Rest of the EU, the people but. “It is the strength of Europe is that we stick together,” said Bettel. In fact, no country in the series so far dancing has demanded special rates for London.

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron went one step further: It would be “bad policy,” he said, when 27 heads of state and heads of government would make recommendations, the EU was finally negotiator, Michel Barnier, will lead the negotiations for the Brexit. He alone had the mandate.

Macron wants to leave Barnier, the negotiations, and praises the Unity

Many are getting tired of it

Sebastian Kurz also noted that it is sufficient, if it is agreed at the level of heads of government: “It is important that we bring a Deal to state that then, hopefully, a majority in the British Parliament and in the EU Parliament, because if this is not successful, we are anyway again before the next challenge.” And just in the British house of Commons there are many people in Mays Conservative party, which, as it were, almost to a Brexit without a Deal.

As it goes now, remained in the dark. If Barnier “achieved significant progress”, be it to meet a new summit, the statement said. But Barnier said he would need “very much time”. Manfred Weber, head of the EPP group in the European Parliament, would have to agree to a contract then, getting impatient. “What we could not accept, would be an endless process of continuous extensions”, at least not on the European elections in the coming year. Because the voters “want to know what the Brexit means in your everyday life”.

Merkel wants to continue to fight for a contract, the UK and the EU binds closely to each other

Of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel takes things with a certain irony: “I can be there as often as is necessary, in order to find a solution, but I don’t come here just to drink a Cup of coffee and to eat biscuits.” It was a real dinner on the Wednesday and not only coffee and biscuits, but begging is likely to it as rather pointless to have checked.