No Brexit deal: The attempt to reach a last-minute agreement between the EU and Great Britain also failed on Wednesday evening.
“No EU meal deal”, the “Daily Mail” summed up yesterday evening between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (65) and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (62).
Johnson had traveled to Brussels for a three-hour dinner. There was turbot and scallops, but no agreement on the tough issues of the divorce, such as fishing rights in the North Sea waters. Boris Johnson was saddened when he left, writes the Telegraph.
The mood must have been chilly. That sounded like what von der Leyen tweeted afterwards: You understand the mutual positions. They are still “far apart”.
Even the obligatory photo session before the meeting indicated that Boris Johnson’s charm would not be enough to pat Ursula von der Leyen soft. It showed clearly who is in charge in Brussels!
On the way to the photo backdrop, the EU chief gave the British prime minister instructions on how such a photo session should look like in Corona times – namely not with a mask and distance instead of demonstrative warmth.
“Do we keep our masks?” Asked Boris Johnson, who was so seriously ill with Corona in April that he had to be ventilated.
You cool: “Keep your distance!” And shortly afterwards the command: “Now we put the masks on again.” He, half ironically: “Put on again immediately? But you are in strict control here, Ursula “, before he meekly added:” And rightly … “
Here you will find content from Twitter
In order to interact with or display content from Twitter and other social networks, we need your consent.
activate social networks
–
–
Decision by Sunday
So even after that there was no “happy ending” … The talks about a trade pact are stuck in a dead end.
More and more likely: the dreaded no-deal Brexit with trade barriers, tariffs and an unsolved problem of how the borders in divided Ireland can remain open. Stock exchanges and large commercial companies fear the crash.
When will the decision be taken? By Sunday evening at the latest, von der Leyen tweeted (“by the end of the weekend”). The British government also initially considered negotiations with the EU on a Brexit trade pact beyond the deadline set for Sunday to be “unlikely” – but this deadline is already shaky.
Foreign Minister Dominic Raab told the BBC on Thursday morning that he was not categorically ruling out further talks. But it is important to have “finality”.
British negotiator David Frost and his EU colleague Michel Barnier will continue negotiations in Brussels until then.
The sticking points: Still fishing, fair competition and the question of how the agreements are legally enforced in the event of a dispute.
EU presents emergency “no deal” legislation
The EU Commission is pressing ahead with preparations for the worst-case scenario – if the negotiations fail. Von der Leyen posted emergency laws on Twitter on Thursday in case there is no trade deal with the UK on January 1st. These plans are intended to alleviate “some of the major disruptions” in air and road traffic, for example.
