POLITICO: Merkel: Brexit backstop stays unless Irish border alternative found

19 July 2019

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the backstop arrangement in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement can only be "overwritten" if an alternative solution is found in the declaration on the future relationship.

Speaking at her annual summer press conference, she stuck to the EU's line that removing the language on the backstop, which aims to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, is dependent on finding "a solution for the management of the border" that means no physical border posts between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (maintaining the Good Friday Agreement), but that also maintains the integrity of the EU's single market. [...]

Full article on POLITICO

Related column on The Guardian by Charles Grant: EU officials don’t relish the idea of no deal – but they are prepared to play hardball

 

EU officials don’t relish the idea of no deal – but they are prepared to play hardball

EU officials don’t relish the idea of no deal – but they are prepared to play hardball


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