Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday 24 October, President of the European Council Donald Tusk said that nobody had managed to divide the EU27 in the process of the negotiations on Brexit. In fact, the European leaders reiterated at last week's European summit that their priority was still this unity. He stressed that this unity must be preserved and that the “ball is now in London's court”. It is up to the British to determine what happens next, whether there will be an agreement or not, a good one or a bad one.
For his part, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker told the MEPs that the 'no deal' scenario had no support at the Commission and that it was no basis for work.
In an interview granted to a group of journalists on Monday 23 October, the EU's negotiator on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom, Michel Barnier, explained that in the Europeans' view, the future relationship with London was “far more important than an orderly withdrawal”. Observing that the last European Council gave a positive outlook, for instance by referring to this relationship, he said that he was “convinced that a path is possible, as long as the discussion is de-dramatised”.
Barnier went on to take position in favour of a transition period that is “both short and regulated”, and that will “cover the current financial period, in other words up to 2020”.
In addition, he said that "as soon as the UK tells us that it wishes to leave the single market and customs union, we are going to have to work on a model along the lines of the agreement signed with Canada”. The single market is a “set of rules and standards, a joint jurisdiction. Its integrity is non-negotiable and nor is the decision-making autonomy of the 27. You're either in or you're out”, he also warned. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)