British Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Monday 21 January that she will continue discussions this week with other political parties and social partners to build a consensus in the United Kingdom on her country's agreement to withdraw from the European Union.
In front of British MPs, she also indicated that she would convey the conclusions of her talks to the EU once they were completed.
While she had announced that she was working on a 'plan B' with the other parties, the day after the British Parliament rejected the agreement with the EU (see EUROPE 12172), Mrs May gave no new indication as to how this consensus could be reached.
She was convinced, however, that the country and its representatives wanted an agreement with the EU rather than an exit without an agreement. Mrs May recalled that the main concerns continued to be the backstop aimed at preventing the return of a physical border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, through a customs union and regulatory proximity to the EU, until an adequate trade relationship is established.
Not surprisingly, it is this backstop that will be the main focus of discussions in the coming days, particularly with its Northern Irish ally, the DUP party.
"We can make progress" on the substance of the agreement and on this backstop, Mrs May said, but "we must fully respect the Good Friday Agreement" and ensure that there is no "physical border", the leader added, dismissing speculation that she would seek to amend the Good Friday Agreement.
“I want to be absolutely clear: we will not reopen the Good Friday Agreement. I never thought about it", said Mrs May.
Earlier in the day, press reports had also suggested that London would seek a direct settlement with Dublin on the Irish border issue. This information quickly prompted the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, who explained on Irish public broadcaster RTE that the Union was "a single negotiating team", so London could not bypass the Twenty-Six to negotiate bilaterally with Dublin.
In substance, the British Prime Minister came up with hardly anything new on Monday. Promising her Parliament that she would be more involved in monitoring and preparing for the future economic and political relationship with the EU, Mrs May also announced that European citizens would not have to pay the £65 registration fee to stay in the UK, whether or not there is an agreement with the EU, and that those who had already paid this fee during a pilot phase would be reimbursed. This announcement was greeted by Guy Verhofstadt, Brexit coordinator in the European Parliament, and his steering group, for which this was one of the demands.
Theresa May reiterated that at this stage she saw no majority in the country and among the political parties and representatives she met in favour of a second referendum or an extension of Article 50, an extension which, in her opinion, could only serve to postpone the decision and would open the question of the election of British Members of the European Parliament.
Will Europeans in any case be able to request new changes to the security solution for Ireland?
Meeting on Monday 21 January in Brussels, several foreign ministers, such as Austrian Minister Karin Kneissl, reiterated that the withdrawal agreement on the table could not be reopened. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney met with his British counterpart, Jeremy Hunt, and publicly reiterated after the meeting that the withdrawal agreement had not been "reopened for renegotiation". He also rejected the proposal made by the Polish Minister, Jacek Czapututowicz, to potentially allow a temporary 5-year limit for the Irish backstop. He said it was an idea that "does not reflect the thinking" of the EU. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)