Brussels fear Cold War style stand-off between Boris and EU over Brexit after new PM’s tough talking
BRUSSELS fears a new Cold War stand off is on the cards after Boris Johnson's tough talking over Brexit.
The new PM has rattled the EU already after his barnstorming Commons speech yesterday where he urged them to throw out the hated Northern Ireland backstop and get back to the negotiating table.
However, EU boss Michel Barnier doubled down last night, saying that his demands were "unacceptable" and the backstop has to stay.
Boris also spoke to Jean Claude Juncker too, who told him the deal is the best one possible and slapped down his demands to rip up the agreement.
The news comes today as:
- Boris revealed his plans to put 20,000 more police on Britain's streets
- As the US ambassador to the UK said the special relationship under Trump and Boris would be "sensational"
- One of his closest allies said he had to prepare for an election
- And it was revealed that Boris and Carrie want to get a dog to join them in Downing Street
A No10 spokesperson said today that Boris was ready to talk Brexit with the EU leaders but the backstop had to go: "We are ready to begin talking but are clear what the basis for those discussions need to be."
"I don’t think there will be any circumstances under which there will be anything other than a Brexit cold war."
And another diplomat said: "We need a bridge. We need to avoid both sides hunkering down in their bunkers."
One senior European diplomat said the bloc are already thinking about what can be done to mitigate the impact, and coming back to the table after a No Deal Brexit.
They said: "The first question is what would be the bare-bones agreement.
"It will be a complicated exercise as we will have a tough discussion on the prerequisites for negotiations after Brexit. It would not be mini-deals but the opposite, a single framework for talks to take place."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is said to be concerned that relations will badly suffer if Britain leaves the EU without a deal.
But last night one of her allies, Norbert Rottengen said that the EU won't be bullied into compromising its principles.
He said on Twitter: "Dear Boris Johnson: Neither boastful speeches nor bullying will succeed in making us give up EU principles and unity... Johnson fails to reach out to country and continent."
However, Germany's Europe minister struck a more conciliatory tone today.
Michael Roth said on ZDF TV: "My message to the new British PM is clear: 'Boris, the election campaign is over. Calm yourself down. We should be fair with each other."
And he added: "What do not help are are provocations.
"instead, dialogue - one must be able to expect that from the leader of a friendly nation, one that is still a member of the European Union."
Ireland's deputy PM blasts Boris for setting Britain on 'collision course' for No Deal
By Nick Gutteridge in Brussels
IRELAND'S deputy PM has blasted Boris Johnson for setting Britain on a "collision course" with Brussels and Dublin that will lead to No Deal.
Simon Coveney accused the hard Brexiteer of making a "deliberate decision" to stoke tensions and vowed to ramp up preparations for a crash out in response.
He slammed Mr Johnson's first Commons speech, in which he vowed to ditch the backstop, as "very unhelpful" ahead of new negotiations.
Mr Coveney fumed: "He seems to have made a deliberate decision to set Britain on a collision course with the EU and with Ireland.
"The approach that the British PM seems to now be taking is not going to be the basis of an agreement. That’s worrying for everybody.
"We will continue to really focus a lot of effort and resource on ensuring we are as ready as we can be for the impact of No Deal."
Irish PM Leo Varadkar said he was still confident a crash out on October 31 can be avoided because Remainer MPs will vote to block it.
He said: "If No Deal does occur, nobody can blame Ireland or the EU. No Deal is only a British choice, a British decision."
The remarks came as Emmanuel Macron's chief EU advisor warned Mr Johnson not to indulge in "provocations" over the issue of the Irish border.
Europe minister Amelie de Montchalin insisted the Withdrawal Agreement including the backstop negotiated by Theresa May is now closed.
She said: "France has a simple approach to a very complex issue. It is a UK decision and it has to be solved by UK decisions again.
"It is not in Brussels, it is not in Paris, it is not in Dublin that we can decide for the British people how they want to go forward.
"If the UK wants to leave, and it wants to leave in an orderly manner, the best we have is the negotiated agreement.
“What is still to negotiate is the future relationship. We have to create a working relationship and not get into games, gestures and provocations.”
EU officials and diplomats are privately discussing how to prevent a "Cold War" developing between Britain and the bloc if there's No Deal.
Member States fear relations could enter into a deep freeze, with Britain distancing itself from Europe and turning to the US for help instead
France's President Macron invited Boris to Paris "in the next few weeks" in a call last night.
"That means reopening the Withdrawal Agreement and securing the abolition of the backstop."
If Britain did leave the EU without a deal then diplomats fear we would slash taxes and attract more investment - in moves which would threaten the bloc.
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