UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said Johnson spoke with French President Emmnauel Macron on Thursday night. Discussions moved on to Brexit that Johnson “will be setting out the same message which he delivered in the House of Commons”. That is, “the withdrawal agreement has been rejected three times by the House of Commons, it’s not going to pass, so that means reopening the withdrawal agreement and securing the abolition of the backstop.”
Referring to Johnson’s statements in House, Ireland’s Foreign Minister, Simon Coveney, said they are “very unhelpful” tot he Brexit process. Coveney said Johnson “seems to have made a deliberate decision to set Britain on a collision course with the European Union and with Ireland in relation to the Brexit negotiations.” And, “the approach that the British prime minister seems to now be taking is not going to be the basis of an agreement, and that’s worrying for everybody.”
Frenchs State Minister for European affairs Amelie de Montchalin said Macron will hold discussion with Johnson in the coming week and “What is still to negotiate is the future relationship… We have to create a working relationship and not get into games, gestures and provocations.”
