- Emmanuel Macron rubbished claims he will soon begin Brexit talks with the UK
- It comes following growing frustration with EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier
- ‘I want to be clear and reiterate our backing of only one negotiator,’ Macron said
- Mr Barnier and Brexit Secretary David Davis have traded barbs in Brussels today
French president Emmanuel Macron has rubbished claims he will soon begin Brexit talks with the UK because of problems with the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier.
In a show of EU unity, Mr Macron said: ‘I want to be very clear and reiterate our backing of only one negotiator and only one mandate.’
It follows claims that Mr Macron could start Anglo-British trade talks as early as October because of increasing frustration at Mr Barnier’s dealings with the UK.
French president Emmanuel Macron has rubbished claims he will soon begin Brexit talks with the UK
Barnier (right) and Brexit Secretary David Davis (left) swapped barbs in Brussels today as talks were left deadlocked after the third round of talks
During a press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Paris on Thursday, Mr Macron said: ‘The only negotiator is Michel Barnier and I would like to clear up ambiguities regarding false information that was spread.
‘It is only once Mr Barnier will acknowledge sufficient progress has been made made that we will be able to work on the next steps,’ Mr Macron added.
Barnier and Brexit Secretary David Davis swapped barbs in Brussels today as talks were left deadlocked after the third round of talks.
The Brexit Secretary and EU Chief Negotiator concluded the August round of negotiations with a frosty press conference that demonstrated little progress.
Mr Davis said he believed ‘concrete’ moves had been made on some issues but defended Britain’s firm rebuttal of the EU’s exit bill.
He said EU leaders had to give Mr Barnier more room to negotiate ‘imaginative’ solutions if the impasse was to be breached.
It followed claims that Mr Macron could start Anglo-British trade talks as early as October
But in a withering response, Mr Barnier accused Britain of ‘nostalgia’, protested a lack of ‘trust’ on EU citizens living in Britain and warned he would never allow its single market to be watered down.
Britain and the EU have until March 2019 to agree withdrawal terms and transitional arrangements and so avoid possible chaos.
In the same Paris news conference, the Dutch prime minister said he was worried about the pace of Brexit negotiations.