David Frost, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s 'Europe' adviser, was in Brussels on Wednesday 31 July and will stay there on Thursday 1 August, to meet the Article 50 team led by Michel Barnier, as well as Clara Martinez, Jean-Claude Juncker's Head of Cabinet and Ilze Junhansone, Acting Secretary-General of the Commission, said the Commission on Wednesday 31 July, referring to a traditional visit to present the respective teams.
However, according to the British media, this diplomatic adviser must also convey to these European officials the message that the United Kingdom will indeed leave the EU on 31 October and specify that, if the backstop cannot be abolished, then the country will have to leave the bloc without agreement.
The day before, the EU negotiator, Michel Barnier, had also spoken on the phone with his British counterpart, Stephen Barclay. These exchanges come at a time when Boris Johnson indicated a few days ago that no discussion would take place with the EU if it did not abolish the now famous ‘backstop’ for the island of Ireland. For his part, the British Prime Minister, during a visit to Northern Ireland, assured his Irish counterpart, Leo Varadkar, that no physical borders would be established at the border between the two Irelands, even if the United Kingdom were to leave the EU without a deal, several media reported. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)