British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to find little support for his drive to reopen Brexit negotiations when he meets with French President Emmanuel Macron on the second stop of his European tour.
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attend a joint press conference, in Berlin, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she plans to discuss with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson how Britain's exit from the European Union can be "as frictionless as possible."
But Macron has already dampened expectations for his meeting with Johnson, saying renegotiating the Brexit deal is “not an option.” Johnson became prime minister last month when former Prime Minister Theresa May stepped down after failing to secure parliamentary approval for the withdrawal agreement she hammered out in more than two years of talks with EU leaders.
Macron also insisted the EU single market must be preserved. Otherwise, that would mean telling EU citizens “we can’t protect you as consumers and producers anymore because we must be nice to Mr. Johnson. No!” he said. Speaking alongside Johnson on Wednesday in Berlin, Merkel indicated that an agreement might yet be reached, but she said it was up to Britain to offer a solution to the contentious Irish border issue.Her comments marked a departure from the pessimism that has prevailed on both sides in recent months. While the EU has ruled out renegotiating the Brexit agreement, Johnson says the backstop must be scrapped.
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