Theresa May could be given a ‘last chance’ to sell her Brexit plan directly to EU counterparts amid rising fears about deadlock in negotiations.
A summit for leaders is being pencilled in for September as efforts are stepped up by both sides to avoid a damaging failure to get a deal.
Germany is said to be increasingly alarmed at the intransigence of the European commission, with Jean-Claude Juncker and Michel Barnier flatly refusing to compromise. Last week Mr Barnier effectively took an axe to Mrs May’s Chequers blueprint –
The gathering, expected to be held in Austria, is being billed as a chance for Mrs May to go over the heads of the Eurocrats and thrash out a solution with national leaders.
An EU summit next month is being billed as an opportunity for Theresa May (pictured in No10 this week) to go over the heads of the Eurocrats and thrash out a solution with national leaders
The potential shift comes as Dominic Raab and Michel Barnier (pictured left and right in Brussels last week) are due to hold more face-to-face talks
Up until now Mrs May has only been permitted to address the European Council of leaders on Brexit, rather than negotiate with them directly.
All discussion of Britain’s departure between the 27 remaining states has been done without the PM in the room.
But one Berlin source told The Times: ‘There is a sense of drift. It is time for leaders to have a serious discussion in the European Council.’
Another source added: ‘There is potential to have talks between all 28 EU leaders.’
The potential shift comes as Dominic Raab and Michel Barnier are due to hold face-to-face talks in Brussels at the end of the latest round of Brexit negotiations.
The Brexit Secretary has promised to bring ‘as much energy as I can’ to the talks with the European Union’s chief negotiator.
But there is a growing pessimism about the prospects for a breakthrough.
Both sides have been stepping up plans to cope with a collapse in talks which would result in the UK leaving without a deal in March 2019.
Mrs May said yesterday that the British public should take ‘reassurance and comfort’ from Government preparations for a no-deal Brexit after it emerged plans were being developed to stockpile food and medicines.
In an interview with 5 News on Wednesday, the Prime Minister did not deny stockpiling is happening, but said the Government is being ‘responsible and sensible’ while still trying to get a good deal with the European Union.
Angela Merkel (pictured with her husband at a Wagner festival this week) is said to have become increasingly concerned at the intransigent stance taken by the EU commission
Mrs May said: ‘Far from being worried about preparations that we are making, I would say that people should take reassurance and comfort from the fact that the Government is saying we are in a negotiation, we are working for a good deal – I believe we can get a good deal – but… because we don’t know what the outcome is going to be… let’s prepare for every eventuality.’
The European Commission has told member states and firms operating in the EU to step up their own preparations for a ‘cliff edge’ Brexit.
The Prime Minister will engage in her own round of Brexit diplomacy tomorrow, travelling to Austria for talks with counterpart Sebastian Kurz and other EU leaders at the Salzburg Festival.