There is still the chance of a Brexit deal, Merkel says

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gestures as she delivers a speech in the country's parliament, the Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, December 9, 2020. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

 

BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union and Britain could still reach a Brexit trade agreement but the bloc's 27 remaining members are prepared to live with no deal if necessary, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.

 

A wrestle over so-called "level playing field" rules, which would prevent Britain undercutting EU standards on things like labour and environmental standards, is the big issue still to be resolved, Merkel told German lawmakers.

 

Berlin has full confidence in the European Commission to pursue the Brexit negotiations, Merkel added ahead of talks between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels later on Wednesday.

 

"There is still the chance of an agreement ... We are continuing to work on it, but we are also prepared for conditions which we cannot accept," Merkel told the Bundestag lower house of parliament.

 

"One thing is clear: the integrity of the internal market must be preserved," she added.

 

"We must have a level playing field, not just for today but for tomorrow and beyond ... Otherwise, unfair competition conditions arise to which we cannot subject our companies," she said. "This is the really big question".

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-09

 

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55 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

There is still the chance of an agreement ... We are continuing to work on it, but we are also prepared for conditions which we cannot accept," Merkel told

So no deal then.

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

So no deal then.

Probably. But the EU have been told over the years that no deal is better than a bad deal.

 

It would appear that the EU negotiating team didn't believe or accept that.

7 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Probably. But the EU have been told over the years that no deal is better than a bad deal.

 

It would appear that the EU negotiating team didn't believe or accept that.

Not a problem for EU but a big problem for UK.

UK is a small insignificant country  cast aside on it's own by choice.

I hope the racist zenpophopic brexiteers are now realising the damage that they have done but I doubt it.

Sad.

1 hour ago, fishtank said:

Not a problem for EU but a big problem for UK.

UK is a small insignificant country  cast aside on it's own by choice.

I hope the racist zenpophopic brexiteers are now realising the damage that they have done but I doubt it.

Sad.

Not true. However keep believing it.

 

Where will the EU send all the exports that they send to the UK now?

Poor old Angela. Still a chance, but they will have to bow to Boris for it now. And to think she had it all stitched up with Treasonous Theresa. EU idealists and Macron's veto threats seem to have lead them to the No Deal option. She will now have to contend with all that lost trade in her industries.

Wonder if there's a chance some of those unsold Right hand drive Mercs and Beemers end up on the Thai market?

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

Where will the EU send all the exports that they send to the UK now?

The 6-8% you mean? I would be more concerned if almost half of my exports were affected. 

8 hours ago, billd766 said:

Not true. However keep believing it.

 

Where will the EU send all the exports that they send to the UK now?

 You mean how long is it gonna take before the price hike of all the stuff the UK imports from the EU due to the taxes they will have to pay soon will start to p... off the general public in the UK?! 

31 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

 You mean how long is it gonna take before the price hike of all the stuff the UK imports from the EU due to the taxes they will have to pay soon will start to p... off the general public in the UK?! 

The British consumer will just eat more Cheddar than Brie, and when people come and visit France people will ask, 'whats that smell?' and the reply will be 'its all the stank rancid cheese in our warehouse we cannot export'

34 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

 You mean how long is it gonna take before the price hike of all the stuff the UK imports from the EU due to the taxes they will have to pay soon will start to p... off the general public in the UK?! 

It won't take long. In fact, it will annoy them so much that they start purchasing alternative goods at cheaper prices from countries that signed a trade deal with the UK. About 30 so far (including the likes of Japan, South Korea, Canada etc.) with 20 more agreed in principle. 

 

Still, the French fisherman and German car workers that lose their jobs will no doubt be delighted that the EU has sacrificed their livelihoods to 'punish' the UK for having the temerity to leave it's corrupt anti democratic protectionist racket. 

So what the EU are saying is that they have the right to change any law and the UK will have to submit to that law or they will punish us, doesn't sound like regaining our sovereignty to me.

 

Have no fear ...Tony Abbot from Oz has been employed by UK to show UK how Oz has been trading with EU without a deal ...all will be OK 

8 hours ago, Loiner said:

Wonder if there's a chance some of those unsold Right hand drive Mercs and Beemers end up on the Thai market?

Quite possibly. At massively inflated prices of course, because the EU has been unable to secure a decent trade deal with Thailand as well. 

 

I wonder if they were demanding unfettered fishing access to the gulf of Thailand? Or every time they changed one of their laws the Thais had to follow or face huge penalties? I wonder what the Thais would have said to that? Makes you realize how ridiculous their demands are, absolutely delusional.????

7 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Still, the French fisherman and German car workers that lose their jobs will no doubt be delighted that the EU has sacrificed their livelihoods to 'punish' the UK for having the temerity to leave it's corrupt anti democratic protectionist racket

 

These people will of course not be delighted, they will have to look for another job ( not that easy ), and in the meantime live with state benefits.

 

This will of course cost money, so it is expected that every citizen in the E.U. will have to pay for it.

 

Not that nice for the man in the street.

 

On the other hand he will have the moral satisfaction that the E.U. hasn't abide to the demands of a country, which left the Union.

 

A country which think, because it has a specific nationality, the E.U. ( if not the World ) should simply acknowledge their requests, and astonished that others may have different view and proposals on a situation, labelling these proposals as totally unacceptable.

 

Their own propositions being of course, the only fair ones.

How can Merkel know, as she is only the head of one country and its a 27 strong decision isn't it, according to some posters on here with equal veto rights????.

 

 

5 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

How can Merkel know, as she is only the head of one country and its a 27 strong decision isn't it, according to some posters on here with equal veto rights????.

 

 

Perhaps she’s already agreed with the other member states the terms the EU will settle on.

7 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

 

These people will of course not be delighted, they will have to look for another job ( not that easy ), and in the meantime live with state benefits.

 

This will of course cost money, so it is expected that every citizen in the E.U. will have to pay for it.

 

Not that nice for the man in the street.

 

On the other hand he will have the moral satisfaction that the E.U. hasn't abide to the demands of a country, which left the Union.

 

A country which think, because it has a specific nationality, the E.U. ( if not the World ) should simply acknowledge their requests, and astonished that others may have different view and proposals on a situation, labelling these proposals as totally unacceptable.

 

Their own propositions being of course, the only fair ones.

The man on the street won't feel any satisfaction when he can't put food on the table for his family.

 

You do realize we're only proposing the same deal Canada has? Nothing special, nothing exceptional. Just a bog standard FTA.

 

You might want to ask yourself why the EU is so terrified of the UK's 'unfair' competition. What's unfair about it? It's like Claude Juncker entering a race with Usain Bolt and complaining that it's unfair that Bolt is so fit and sober and therefore demanding he wears a "fat man suit" and downs 3 bottles of wine before the race.

 

They're terrified of us, which is strange considering the Remainers think we're so small, weak and insignificant. Clearly the EU don't agree with that synopsis.

 

 

5 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

The man on the street won't feel any satisfaction when he can't put food on the table for his family.

This seems extreme.

 

However I have the impression that  it would delight you, if happening. 

 

The rest of your post is the usual personal opinion and perception. 

 

That of course you are entitled to express, this being a forum. 

16 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

This seems extreme.

 

However I have the impression that  it would delight you, if happening. 

 

The rest of your post is the usual personal opinion and perception. 

 

That of course you are entitled to express, this being a forum. 

 

It wouldn't delight me at all. My issue is with the EU not European citizens, many of whom are my friends. I wish absolutely no ill on them as most of them didn't vote to be lorded over by the EU either.  

 

I've always said a mutually beneficial FTA is the way to go, if the EU wants to screw over it's own citizens to punish the UK then that's on them, not me.

 

2 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

lorded over by the EU

 

Again a personal perception. 

 

I suppose you know Europeans who have the same perception.

 

I know some personally too, none have that impression. 

 

I am also member of a Belgian/Flemish forum, a French and a Dutch one, never read one topic about that matter, not even a single post about it. 

 

54 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

The man on the street won't feel any satisfaction when he can't put food on the table for his family.

 

You do realize we're only proposing the same deal Canada has? Nothing special, nothing exceptional. Just a bog standard FTA.

 

You might want to ask yourself why the EU is so terrified of the UK's 'unfair' competition. What's unfair about it? It's like Claude Juncker entering a race with Usain Bolt and complaining that it's unfair that Bolt is so fit and sober and therefore demanding he wears a "fat man suit" and downs 3 bottles of wine before the race.

 

They're terrified of us, which is strange considering the Remainers think we're so small, weak and insignificant. Clearly the EU don't agree with that synopsis.

 

 

 

The EU's position was made clear before the referendum.

The fact you are not getting the cake and eat it deal you were promised by vote leave is not the EU's problem.

Its yours. You listened to the wrong people. You wrapped yourself in meaningless slogans.

The fact Johnson is now scrambling for any deal at all is a direct consequence of the lies he told during the referendum and at the last election. 

13 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

 

Again a personal perception. 

 

I suppose you know Europeans who have the same perception.

 

I know some personally too, none have that impression. 

 

I am also member of a Belgian/Flemish forum, a French and a Dutch one, never read one topic about that matter, not even a single post about it. 

 

 

None of the Europeans I know in Thailand are French fisherman or German car workers. They are the ones being used as a pawn and likely to be thrown under the bus by the EU for the sake of punishing the UK.

 

The likes of Barnier and Von Der Leyen are playing with the futures of European citizens who ironically didn't even have the opportunity to vote for them. If you're happy with that, fill your boots. 

2 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

 

The EU's position was made clear before the referendum.

The fact you are not getting the cake and eat it deal you were promised by vote leave is not the EU's problem.

Its yours. You listened to the wrong people. You wrapped yourself in meaningless slogans.

The fact Johnson is now scrambling for any deal at all is a direct consequence of the lies he told during the referendum and at the last election. 

Nonsense. A bog standard FTA is not a 'cake and eat it' scenario. It's a normal agreement between 2 sovereign countries.

 

If you're not sure about it, check the ones we signed with Japan, South Korea and Canada. Or check the one the EU signed with Canada.

 

Your hardly in a position to talk about listening to the wrong people when you've got Sturgeon brainwashing you about 'Independence'.

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

Nonsense. A bog standard FTA is not a 'cake and eat it' scenario. It's a normal agreement between 2 sovereign countries.

 

If you're not sure about it, check the ones we signed with Japan, South Korea and Canada. Or check the one the EU signed with Canada.

 

Your hardly in a position to talk about listening to the wrong people when you've got Sturgeon brainwashing you about 'Independence'.

But the EU never promised you an FTA.

Vote leave and people like Johnson, Gove and Farage did.

9 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

None of the Europeans I know in Thailand are French fisherman or German car workers.

The French fishermen probably account for as little GDP as the British fishermen. And the German car workers’ wealth depends on the integrity of the single market. Getting some pieces of the FS industry in the meantime isn’t too bad either. 

 

5 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

But the EU never promised you an FTA.

 

Actually they did.

 

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1362448/eu-news-brexit-uk-trade-talks-canada-deal-michel-barnier-david-frost-spt

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

A bog standard FTA is not a 'cake and eat it' scenario. It's a normal agreement between 2 sovereign countries.

What’s that “bog standard” “normal” agreement? 
 

8 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

If you're not sure about it, check the ones we signed with Japan, South Korea and Canada. Or check the one the EU signed with Canada.

They are all different. 

 

 

3 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

The French fishermen probably account for as little GDP as the British fishermen. And the German car workers’ wealth depends on the integrity of the single market. Getting some pieces of the FS industry in the meantime isn’t too bad either. 

 

Not much GDP %? Cool, just throw them under the bus then.

 

Sacrifice them for the sake of the egos and intransigence of the EU commission. You're all heart ????. 

2 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

What’s that “bog standard” “normal” agreement? 

Tariff free trade on specified goods.

 

Canada is a good example. 

 

I thought you were more knowledgeable.

5 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Actually they did.

 

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1362448/eu-news-brexit-uk-trade-talks-canada-deal-michel-barnier-david-frost-spt

 

 

 

Where’s the promise?