The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the EU negotiator on the United Kingdom's exit from the EU, Michel Barnier, again refused on 30 January to accept the request of the British Parliament and Prime Minister Theresa May to reopen negotiations on the ‘backstop’ for Ireland, after the British Parliament adopted an amendment to this effect on Tuesday evening, the famous Brady amendment calling for alternative mechanisms to the ‘backstop' (see EUROPE 12182).
"We have repeated it, yesterday's debate and vote did not change anything, the withdrawal agreement will not be renegotiated", Jean-Claude Juncker hammered home before MEPs.
According to Mr Juncker, the possibility of a ‘no deal’ exit has also increased with this vote and that is why "I have sent someone to each Member State" to prepare this scenario, he said.
According to the President of the Commission, it is now "more important than ever for the EU to remain calm and determined, as it has been throughout the process" and, in preparing for the ‘no deal’, "the benefits of the withdrawal agreement or political declaration should not be duplicated", he also warned. In any case, the President of the Commission assured that he wanted to be optimistic and to believe "that an agreement remains possible".
For Michel Barnier, the ‘backstop’ is an integral part of the withdrawal agreement and it "will not be renegotiated, there is no doubt possible on this point". And if the EU remains open to discussing alternative mechanisms to the ‘backstop’, as requested by the British Parliament, this can only be done once the withdrawal agreement has been signed, Michel Barnier explained. The negotiator also recalled that the withdrawal agreement and the political declaration already mention these alternative mechanisms, but at the moment they are not operational, thus making the ‘backstop’ essential.
In any case, the negotiator expressed his weariness with some British speeches, having "more and more difficulty accepting the blame game they want to play against us".
On the side of MEPs and, in particular, the European Parliament steering group on Brexit, it is still weariness that prevails, the last two months having been "exhausting", as the Belgian Guy Verhofstadt said. For the Parliament coordinator for Brexit, Ms May is always welcome in Brussels to discuss, "but to do what? To ask for more time? To change her red lines?” The Belgian regretted in any case that the British Parliament's vote still gives no instructions on what it wants.
For Elmar Brok (EPP, Germany), the damage of an ‘no deal’ exit will in any case be "ten times worse for the United Kingdom than for the EU"; it is therefore necessary that the British return and a solution can be found.
Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, Italy), for his part, relaunched the idea of a second referendum if Parliament was unable to find a way forward. But the British Conservative Ashley Fox alone has summed up thinking across the Channel. In his view, the Irish ‘backstop’ in its current form will not prevent a hard border and, on the contrary, "it will create it". The Member therefore regretted that the EU was sticking to its refusal to renegotiate.
At this stage, no visit by Ms May to Brussels is scheduled. The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, was scheduled to meet her on Wednesday evening by telephone. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)