In an attempt to end political deadlock that has stalled Brexit negotiations
Prime Minister Theresa May has made a visit to Brussels today, in what is being seen as an effort to revive the Brexit talks ahead of the summit of European Union leaders on Thursday.
Earlier today, May travelled with Brexit Secretary David Davis to meet with the European Commission boss Jean-Claude Juncker in a dinner meeting in an attempt to break-through the political deadlock that has stalled negotiations and increased fears that the UK will crash out of the union without an agreement come April 2019.
With the negotiations entering a “critical phase”, BBC assistant political editor said, the possibility of the UK leaving without a deal was becoming the “new front line” in the debate about Brexit.
The dinner is expected to last 90 minutes, BBC reports, where May hopes to end a stalemate over the three initial topics for negotiation — the amount the UK owes the EU when it leaves, the future rights of EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens living in the EU, and what happens on the Northern Ireland border.
Read related story: UK’s divorce bill has hit a ‘disturbing state of deadlock’: EU negotiator
“I will see Mrs. May this evening,” Juncker confirmed to media, adding: “We will have discussions and then you will have the autopsy.”
Earlier today, May reportedly spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel from Brussels and was reportedly planning to also speak with French PresidentEmmanuel Macron and Irish premier, Leo Varadkar, ahead of the dinner.
While Downing Street sources insist that today’s visit haD “been in the diary for weeks”, other reports suggest that nothing was listed in Juncker’s calendar of events on the Commission website as of today morning.
The last dinner between May and Juncker in April was a diplomatic disaster with an article in the newspaper reporting that Juncker had been “shocked” by May’s position.
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