Donald Tusk says EU will prepare to talk trade in December and blasts downbeat Brexit envoy after talks with ‘optimistic and positive’ Theresa May
The EU said that not enough progress has been made to start talks now, but Angela Merkel insisted yesterday that meetings have been 'encouraging'.
THERESA MAY is leaving Brussels "optimistic" about the future after EU boss Donald Tusk said the bloc will start preparing for Brexit trade talks in December.
And in a double boost for the Prime Minister as she departs the two-day crunch EU summit - the Commission President Jean Claude Juncker has said he DOES expect a deal between Britain and the EU to go ahead in the end.
On a day expected to be filled with doom and gloom about Brexit, the Prime Minister was all smiles and feeling up-beat about how talks were progressing - despite reports of an impasse just last week.
Markets - who had priced in that talks would not move forward as hopes - remained stable.
In Brussels today:
- The EU said that not enough progress had been made to talk trade now, but internal talks will begin to prepare to start them in December
- Mrs May told reporters that she was "positive and optimistic" about Brexit talks
- Donald Tusk remained cheery, saying trust and good will had been restored between Britain and the UK, and rejecting his colleague Michel Barnier's claims that talks were in "deadlock"
- Mr Juncker insisted that he "hated" the idea of no-deal, but risked fury by saying that the British had no idea what they voted for in opting for Brexit
- France's President Macron was firm that we are "far from what is needed" to secure an agreement on the divorce bill - after reports that Mrs May had agreed in private to cough up more cash
EU Leaders took just 90 SECONDS to agree on their new Brexit position today - rejecting beginning trade talks now but saying they should move on "as soon as possible".
The remaining 27 members "welcomed" the progress made so far on citizens rights and on Northern Ireland.
But they stood firm on noting that the UK's financial offers have "not yet been translated into a firm and concrete commitment."
Mr Tusk tweeted this morning: "Brexit conclusions adopted. Leaders green-light internal EU27 preparations for 2nd phase. ".
And Polish PM Beata Szydło said the EU should "very positively evaluate the proposition that May presented in Florence".
But their French counterpart Emmanuel Macron was more pessimistic, saying that we are "far from what is needed" to move on and accused Britain of "bluffing" by preparing for no deal.
In a press conference today he said: "I can only underline how much work needs to be done."
Dutch PM Marke Rutte - who has personally intervened to try and break the deadlock - said that a "method to come to a financial contribution" should be nailed down to show progress.
In a cheery news conference this morning Mrs May said: "I am ambitious and positive for Britain's future, and for these negotiations."
She promised to fight for a relationship based on the same "fundamental beliefs" of the EU - including free trade, fair competition, and strong consumer rights - but admitted that there was "some way to go".
The PM said the summit was "an important moment to assess and reflect on how to make further progress" and she urged all sides to work together to get a good deal that "works for all our people".
But she declined to comment on reports this morning that she has secretly agreed to pay the EU even more money that previously expected - up to €40billion.
Mrs May said that we wouldn't get a final figure on how much we'll pay until the final agreement was bashed out, but said the EU would not be out of pocket for the next few years.
Theresa May privately agrees to DOUBLE Brexit divorce bill to €40bn
THERESA MAY has had talks in private about what she is prepared to pay the EU to quit.
According to reports in The Times, she said she could be willing to give over an extra €20billion (£17bn) to the bloc - to cover future liabilities.
But that's on top of the €20bn offer to pay in during a transition period of up to two years.
Last week the European Parliament boss Antonio Tajani said her offer so far was "peanuts" and that €50bn or €60bn (£63bn) was needed.
But we're unlikely to know the final bill until the final deal is agreed, Mrs May has said.
Publically the PM has yet to speak about a figure, but has been clear that the EU will not be out of pocket for the next few years as a result of our decision to leave.
She has promised to pay up what we owe and potentially dish out more in future for projects we want to stay a part of, but has vowed to go through the demands from the EU "line by line" to ensure we get value for money.
And today the traditionally gloomy Mr Juncker said: "I hate the no-deal scenario... I am not in favour of no deal.
"I want to have a fair deal with Britain."
But he risked aggravating Brexiteers by saying that "nobody explained in the first place to the British people what Brexit actually meant".
He added that there would not be a "miracle" today but that "work is going on" to move things forward.
His colleague Donald Tusk was far more upbeat, insisting that reports of "deadlock" from the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has been "exaggerated".
He said in a press conference: "While progress is not sufficient, it doesn't mean there is no progress at all."
Praising the "momentum" from the PM's Florence speech, he said that there was "positive motivation" to make the progress needed in the coming six weeks.
Last night Mrs May warned EU leaders to soften their Brexit demands or she won't be able to sell any deal to the British people.
Issuing a crucial pitch for progress to Europe’s bosses at a summit dinner, the Prime Minister called on them not to push her into a corner.
Mrs May told them: “We must work together to get to an outcome we can stand behind and defend to our people”.
And this morning Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat lavished praise on Mrs May's after-dinner speech last night, saying it was her "best performance yet".
He said that the speech was "constructive" and she conveyed a "warm, candid and sincere appeal that she wants progress to be made".
The Maltese leader said that the wording of today's conclusions from the council meeting "will show that there is willingness from the EU to move forward".
The pair laughed during today's breakfast meeting with other EU leaders.
The PM stuck to her guns on the major sticking point of the divorce bill – money.
During her late night address at the end of the three course dinner, she again refused to spell out any sum that the UK was prepared to pay, or details on how to calculate it.
Instead, she only repeated the “firm commitment” in her Florence speech last month that Britain would pay up what it owes.
No10 refused hard Brexiteers’ demand to walk out of the negotiations when the EU formally turns down the PM’s plea to move onto trade deal talks later today.
After refusing the PM’s plea to declare “sufficient progress”, the powerful German Chancellor said she thought it would be possible to "take the work forward and then reach the start of the second phase in December".
And she said there was ";no doubt" a Brexit deal would be secured in the end.
She added: "We are going to achieve a good outcome.
"As far as I am concerned, I don't hear any reason to believe that we are not going to be successful."
