EU chiefs ‘desperate to punish UK’ making a ‘catastrophe’ of Brexit talks, German MEP says

EUROCRATS are trying to make a “catastrophe” of Brexit to “punish the British”, a senior German politician declared.

کد خبر: ۷۱۳۸۳۸

تاریخ: ۲۸ تير ۱۳۹۶ - ۱۰:۵۸

Hans-Olaf Henkel, deputy head of the European Parliament’s industry, research and energy committee, encouraged his fellow MEPS "not to listen” to Michel Barnier.

Mr Henkel also attacked the European parliament’s Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, who he claimed was responsible in "no small part for the disaster of Brexit”.

He said: "Mr Verhofstadt now wants to punish the British, full stop. He says he doesn’t want to, but I’m afraid he does.

"My impression is that Mr Barnier wants to do the same. The reason is simple. They would seek to make sure that Brexit is such a catastrophe that no country dares to take the step of leaving the EU again.”

Mr Henkel, a former chief executive of IBM, does not agree with the nature of negotiations so far and wants to forge a relationship with the UK after Brexit.

Speaking to The Times he added: "My position is that the EU must accommodate the British. That will mean some give and take on both sides.”

It follows reports from an EU diplomat, speaking to Politico, that EU officials are exasperated by the UK’s lack of preparation and unwillingness to discuss an exit bill.

One EU diplomat said: "Financial settlement is the priority. The EU will not walk away from talks but will stall them.

"The impression we got so far is that the UK is not ready for these talks.”

Mr Davis, in a statement to a House of Lords committee said that "proper approach to get the right outcome in the negotiation” would be to "challenge” the EU’s calculations.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead, a trade minister in David Cameron’s government, in a Lords debate said: "The thing about trade deals is you can either have a quick trade deal, you can have a good trade deal or you can have a comprehensive trade deal.

"You can’t have all three and I think the UK needs to focus on the last two of these. Quick timing isn’t in our favour.

"Having our cake and eating it is just not available. The cake shop shuts in 18 months’ time and we have to recognise that. As a country, we need to buy some time to avoid the cliff edge. We need to show some realism.”