As expected there were no official statements after Theresa May's hastily arranged meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel because there was really nothing to be said.
Germany has made it abundantly clear since the start of Brexit negotiations in 2016 that London needs to negotiate with Brussels and not individual member states.
The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker could hardly have been any clearer about the European position when he said there was "no room whatsoever" for renegotiation.
May had to undertake her whirlwind tour to show that she had left no stone unturned. But she was condemned to leave Berlin empty-handed.
Key points on Tuesday:
Theresa May has met Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on the second stop on her shuttle diplomacy mini-tour, after being received by her opposite number Mark Rutte in the Netherlands.
The contentious Northern Irish backstop clause remains a major sticking point for pro-Brexit lawmakers who argue that it could leave Britain tied to the EU indefinitely.
The British prime minister is to conclude the day in Brussels, meeting EU President Donald Tusk and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.
At home, May faces a rebellion within her own Conservative Party, mainly over the controversial backstop. She called off a planned parliamentary vote on the accord — set for Tuesday — at the last minute on Monday in a bid to drum up more support beforehand.
The UK's Junior Brexit Minister Robin Walker has said that parliament will discuss the government’s next steps ahead, even if there is no deal to approve before January 21.
"In the unlikely and highly undesirable circumstances that as of 21st January there is no deal before the house, the government would bring a statement to the house and arrange for a debate as specified by the law," said Walker.
Theresa May's spokesman James Slack said earlier that Prime Minister Theresa May would bring back her deal to the House of Commons "before January 21."
May's arrival was somewhat jinxed, with her car door jammed for some moments as Merkel waited on the red carpet. Just another example of things not going quite as UK prime minister would hope.
And the excruciating comedy continues. Theresa May arrives in Berlin to meet with Angela Merkel on her desperate whirlwind #Brexit tour, only to be briefly stuck in the car. ??♀️
— Kate Brady (@kbrady90) December 11, 2018
Who’s betting that May just didn’t want to get out? https://t.co/62SwNwImZP
Guntram Wolff from the Brussels think tank Bruegel has told DW that the EU will not offer May anything that could reopen the possibility of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. "There is no other solution than the one already on the table," he said. "The British acted as if they could square the circle for a long time. Now they realize they can’t."
Theresa May has arrived at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel. The chancellor greeted May with a handshake as the British prime minister forges ahead with her mini-tour, visiting the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium on Tuesday. No statements or news conferences were planned after their meeting.
Kate Brady says there's a damp reception awaiting Theresa May in Berlin.
Miserable reception waiting for Theresa May in Berlin as she makes a whistle-stop tour of Europe in a bid to win concessions after postponing a parliamentary vote on the #Brexit deal. Squint hard enough and you’ll see a rather soggy UK flag has been quickly hoisted up. pic.twitter.com/eXxYzuZo1Y
— Kate Brady (@kbrady90) December 11, 2018
A man has been detained by armed police outside the UK parliament. It's unclear whether or not the incident is related to Brexit.
The UK’s Press Association has quoted Theresa May's spokesman James Slack as saying that she will bring her deal back to the House of Commons "before January 21."
Slack said May's meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had been "very productive."
Theresa May has landed in the German capital, Berlin, and is on her way to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Britain wants "legally binding" assurances from EU leaders it will not be trapped indefinitely in their customs union by the Irish "backstop" clause.
Martin Callanan, a junior minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union, was speaking on arrival in Brussels for talks.
On Monday, May postponed a bid to get the Brexit deal she negotiated with EU leaders last month through parliament. In the meantime, she now wants new reassurances over the emergency backstop clause.
Jean-Claude Juncker earlier said the deal could not be renegotiated, only open to "further clarification and further interpretations."
Barbara Wesel believes Theresa May feels that — as in Monty Python's dead parrot sketch — her Brexit deal isn't deceased, just in need of some time out.
Theresa May has left The Hague and is headed for talks in Berlin with Chancellor Angela Merkel. In The Hague, the British prime minister had breakfast with Prime Minister Mark Rutte but made no public comment about the content of their discussions.
Ireland has said it will ramp up plans for a no-deal Brexit. Foreign Minister Simon Coveney on Tuesday said this included accelerating the recruitment of customs officials and veterinary inspectors to work at ports and airports.
Meanwhile, Germany's VDMA engineering association claims that the chances of avoiding a hard Brexit are shrinking by the day, so firms should urgently prepare for such a scenario.
The scenario of a no-deal Brexit will be on the agenda at a meeting of European leaders on Thursday, European Council President Donald Tusk has said.
Michael Roth, a Social Democrat and junior minister at Germany's foreign office, told reporters on Tuesday that he did not see any scope for changes to the proposed agreement on Brexit. Roth stressed that, although May was set to visit Chancellor Angela Merkel later in the day, the chief negotiators were in Brussels rather than Berlin.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said he is ruling out any renegotiation of the divorce agreement. However, he did say there was room for "further clarification and further interpretations without opening the withdrawal agreement."
Theresa May arrives at The Hague residence of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as part of her efforts to rescue her Brexit deal.
from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2zSeVVM
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