The EU negotiator for the orderly exit of the United Kingdom, Michel Barnier, reiterated on Monday 8 April in Dublin the full support of the Twenty-six Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, assuring that his country would not be left to its fate in the event of a 'no deal', an exit without agreement.
After renewing the European Commission's readiness to reopen the November political declaration with London, the negotiator explained that it had also been discussed "the no-deal scenario" with Leo Varadkar. There were "intensive discussions" and "our goal is to protect the Good Friday agreement", Barnier explained.
The latter also reiterated that discussions with London, in such a situation, could only resume if the British government respected its obligations "on Ireland, citizens' rights and the financial question".
The Irish Prime Minister, for his part, reiterated his government's readiness to grant a longer extension to the period provided for in Article 50, as Theresa May, his British counterpart, requested last week (see EUROPE 12230/1). Michel Barnier has notably questioned the duration of this extension.
Theresa May, for her part, is going to Berlin on Tuesday 9 April to meet the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and then to Paris to meet the French President, Emmanuel Macron, in order to prepare for the European Summit on 10 April, which is supposed to decide on Mrs May's request to extend the deadline for Article 50 to 30 June.
The situation remained as unclear as it was on Monday 8 April, when talks launched by Ms May with Labour boss Jeremy Corbyn had not yet produced any concrete results. The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, who asked the Twenty-seven to consider extending the period of Article 50 by at least one year, said at the end of the day that he had spoken to Ms May by phone.
The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, as well. In particular, he asked Ms May on Twitter to say "when and on what basis" the withdrawal agreement could be approved in London. Any "positive decision" by the Twenty-seven on an extension will also be based on British "assurances" of "sincere cooperation", he added. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)