The French President is expected to veto another delay to Brexit because of the “deteriorating situation” in the UK. Pierre Sellal, a former top French diplomat, said Mr Macron sees the current state of British politics as “more disturbing” than the crisis that surrounded Theresa May’s battle to try and force her controversial withdrawal agreement through the Commons. The former French ambassador to the EU told BBC Radio 4: “The situation of the UK as a member state becomes every day more awkward and strained.”
He said President Macron will veto a request to return to the EU if Mr Johnson failed to present “a credible acceptable alternative” to Mrs May’s rejected deal.
He also said Mr Macron would need a “a sufficient level of trust” in Mr Johnson to grant a Brexit extension.
He said: “Maybe what is missing today is this trust about the way your country sees its future with the European Union.
“In this regard, I believe that the situation has been deteriorating. It is very difficult to have the necessary trust that could justify a new examination of a new date.”
Should the EU reject calls for a new Brexit date, which would be the fourth request after the original March 29 one became April 12 and then Halloween, it would mean the UK has no choice but to leave without a deal or revoke Article 50.
Though today it emerged the EU is finally ready to settle the backstop issue once and for all.
EU negotiators have “reluctantly” conceded they will listen next week to British plans to scrap the controversial Northern Ireland backstop during crunch talks.
Brussels has agreed to examine tweaks to the backstop in the coming weeks after “preliminary ideas” were put on the table by Britain.
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An EU diplomat said: “The Commission has entertained the UK putting on the agenda the involvement of Stormont in the development of an SPS-zone arrangement as part of the backstop.”
The source added that while no actual proposals were discussed, handing Northern Ireland politicians a role on the “negotiating team was.
“After this week, the appetite to entertain and elaborate on such proposals in the EU is limited given the reality in London and the limited ambitions of its Government for the future relationship,” they added.
But amid fears from his parliamentary allies in the DUP, Mr Johnson wants to ensure politicians in Northern Ireland have a say on any future changes.
During today’s talks, both sides questioned how Northern Ireland politicians would be involved “before the solution is agreed, after the solution is agreed but before it became applicable, and after the solution becomes applicable”.
Mr Johnson told the Commons this week: “We recognise that for reasons of geography and economics agri-food is increasingly managed on a common basis across the island of Ireland.
“We will be discussing this with the EU shortly.”
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