EUROPEAN Council President Donald Tusk will make a statement on Brexit early this morning, his office said last night, prompting speculation on the fate of Theresa May’s plans for a deal with Brussels.
No details were available of Tusk’s plans for the morning, when he will brief reporters at 7.50am. (0650 GMT). An EU official noted, however, that he would be departing for a scheduled visit to Hungary at 8.15am.
Earlier yesterday May was given a fresh ultimatum to come up with a solution to the Irish border question by midnight on Sunday otherwise Brexit talks cannot move onto the next phase next week.
READ MORE: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon: This week’s Brexit debacle proves need for independence
The Prime Minister was initially given a deadline of last Monday to put forward proposals on the issue and the other exit matters — the financial settlement and citizen’s rights — but a draft agreement collapsed when the Democratic Unionist Party, which prop up her minority Government, scuppered them.
Ireland’s Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he expected to see a new offer from May yesterday, although suggested trade talks may not get the green light until 2018 even if new deal on the Border was struck.
At a press briefing yesterday morning, European Commission spokesman Margaritas Schinas made clear the final deadline was this Sunday.
“We stand ready to receive Prime Minister May at any moment in time when they’re ready,” he told reporters. “This will have to happen this week. In this building, we work for a full week, 24/7, and our week includes Sunday.”
Varadkar’s deputy, Ireland’s Tanaiste Simon Coveney has insisted his country would not back any deal which alters the core principles of Monday’s ill-fated draft agreement.
Coveney said his Government would consider alternative proposals if any are forthcoming from London, but stressed it would not countenance anything that fell short of the assurances it needs.
“We are in a position where we still need to find a way forward but, let me be very clear, the core issues that Ireland got agreement on at the start of this week are not changing,” he told the Dail.
May is facing a high-pressure race against time to make progress in talks with Brussels amid a deadlock over the border.
Monday’s mooted agreement between the UK and EU envisaged the alignment of regulations north and south to maintain free flow of goods effectively keeping Northern Ireland in the single market.
It immediately prompted Nicola Sturgeon, Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones and London Mayor Sadiq Khan to demand similar arrangements for their parts of the UK. They are now calling for the whole of the UK to remain within the single market and customs union.
Coveney also told members of the Dail that his Government was advocating a solution that would benefit all the people of the island and also Britain.
“We accept that the British Government is trying to move this process forward in good faith.
“We want to work with them on that, and not against them”, he said.
He added: “But Ireland has real concerns and they are important to this country and its future and they are important to this island and its future and we have an obligation to ensure we act accordingly.”
The senior Fine Gael TD added: “We will not support anything that in our view risks the re-emergence of a hard border on this island in the context of these negotiations.”
Pressure is growing on May to get leaders at the December 14 European Council summit to declare sufficient progress has been made on exit issues so trade talks can begin.
Business chiefs have warned companies will move out of the UK to the EU27 countries amid uncertainty over what, if any, trade deal or transition arrangement, will be in place after the UK leaves the bloc in March 2019.
After talks in Dublin on Wednesday night, Varadkar and Dutch PM Mark Rutte made clear the EU would not compromise and allow the Irish border to be kicked down the road to phase two of the talks, even under threat of Britain crashing out with no deal or divorce negotiations dragging on to 2018.
May’s official spokesman said yesterday: “As the Prime Minister set out at the start of the week and in the Commons, we are close to an agreement, but there is more work still to be done. It is an ongoing process.”
However, the PM faces problems within her own Cabinet, with hardline Brexiteers such as Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson critical of any proposals that would mean the UK remaining in the single market.
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