The European Commission once again stressed on Tuesday 11 June that the election of a new Prime Minister in the United Kingdom would not “change the parameters on the table”. “Everyone knows what is on the table; it has been approved by all Member States and the new election will not change the parameters on the table”, said Margaritis Schinas, the institution's spokesperson, as 10 candidates officially entered the race on June 10 to replace former Prime Minister Theresa May as leader of the Conservative Party and therefore as leader of the country.
Two of them, considered as favourites, distinguished themselves during the Pentecost weekend by speaking out on the negotiation of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU. They are former Minister of Foreign Affairs Boris Johnson and current Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeremy Hunt. Boris Johnson threatened not to pay the British bill (the settlement of financial commitments running until 2020 amounting to nearly 40 billion euros), if the withdrawal agreement, as concluded in November by Mrs May, was not improved.
Jeremy Hunt, for his part, assured on the basis of a conversation he claims to have had with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that a renegotiation was possible with the EU, which the latter refuses.
Eight men and two women entered the race, including Michael Gove, Sajid David, Dominic Raab, Matt Hancock and, for women, Andrea Leadsom and Esther MvVey.
A possible second referendum?
Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon was in Brussels on Tuesday 11 June. In the morning, she met Michel Barnier, the EU negotiator, and then afterwards had to meet the President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. In a speech to the European Policy Centre (EPC), she pointed out that at this stage, a second referendum on Brexit seemed to her to be a more likely option than a revocation of Article 50, although it is not yet certain that there would be a majority in the country in favour of a second consultation.
At the same time, she considered that the chances of remaining in the EU increased as much as those of a 'hard Brexit', given the current situation in the United Kingdom. She also expressed confidence that the Scots would respond positively to the new referendum project on the country's independence, which she plans to hold in 2021. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)