Angela Merkel has said that Britain should clarify quickly how it wants to shape its future relationship with the European Union and warned that the forthcoming Brexit talks will “not be easy”.
It comes as Theresa May, who on Monday was confirmed as the new leader of the Conservative party, reiterated her stance at her victory speech that “Brexit means Brexit” and there will be no attempts to stay within the EU.
“There will be no attempts to remain inside the EU, no attempts to re-join it by the back door, and no second referendum. The country voted to leave the European Union and as Prime Minister I will make sure that we leave the European Union," Ms May said.
“The Brexit vote was also a message that we need to bring control to free movement. Free movement cannot continue as it has up to now”.
But the German Chancellor, along with several other high profile EU politicians, has warned that there can be no “cherry picking” of what it wants to keep from its EU membership while jettisoning aspects of the relationship it does not like. “We will have difficult negotiations with Britain, it will not be easy,” Merkel told conservative supporters in eastern Germany on Monday.
“But of course the EU and the remaining 27 member states also have to protect their interests,” Ms Merkel said during a speech at the annual diplomatic corps reception in Meseberg, north of Berlin.
And despite suggestions from senior British politicians that access to the tariff-free market could continue alongside curbing migration from the bloc, Ms Merkel said: “For example, whoever would like to have free access to the European internal market will also have to accept all basic freedoms in return, including the free movement of people.”
In an interview with the ZDF TV channel, the German Chancellor added: “The decision has been taken . . . and the next step is — and Britain will do this only when they have a new prime minister — to invoke Article 50,” she said. “I expect that to happen. I deal with reality and I firmly expect that application will be made.”
Ms Merkel added: “We have spoken to Britain and made clear there will be no negotiations with Britain until they have made their application, and there will be no cherry picking.”
Donald Tusk, the European Council President, has previously warned that Britain must accept the EU’s four freedoms – people, goods, capital and services – to retain access to the tariff-free single market. He added that there will be no formal negotiations until the British prime minister has triggered Article 50.
After the Leave campaign won on a promise to cut immigration, the new Prime Minister will be under great pressure to get a deal that does not include acquiescence to freedom of movement rules. But Theresa May, so far, has failed to outline how she will negotiate this relaxation of the EU’s four freedoms in the face of such vocal opposition from the 27 other EU member states.
“We wish UK as close partner. Access to the single market means acceptance of all four freedoms. No single market à la carte… many expect Europe to do better. Europe brought hope for decades. Our responsibility to return that,” Mr Tusk added.
