British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on British business on Friday to start preparations for a no deal Brexit, also known as the no-deal Brexit. According to him, the European Union refuses to negotiate seriously and if that does not change, there will be no agreement, Johnson said.
“I have come to the conclusion that we need to adopt a settlement similar to the relationship between the EU and Australia,” said Johnson. He is referring to free trade without further regulations, in other words a no deal scenario. Johnson says he would rather have seen a settlement like the one between the EU and Canada, which does involve free trade. “It is strange that after 45 years of membership the EU cannot offer us the conditions Canada has received”.
Johnson’s words should be seen as a threat. By putting things on edge, Johnson wants to force the EU to make concessions. On Thursday, the EU also called on the British to compromise the negotiations. The EU Member States are currently meeting for a summit in Brussels, where they are briefed on the negotiations by Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier.
Talks with the former EU country have been slow, to say the least. Brussels accuses London of wanting the favors of the EU, but not the burdens. For example, the negotiations have for a long time on subjects such as fisheries, where the UK wants the same access to the European market, but does not want to allow European fishermen to enter British waters, for example. The British believe that the EU should be more flexible.
However, both sides continue to argue and wait for the other to break the deadlock. As a result, there are only more than two months left to reach an agreement. After those 2.5 months, the transition period will end and the UK will definitely distance itself from the EU.
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