London, July 26: The European Union (EU) has dismissed an attempt by newly-elected British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to rewrite a Brexit arrangement over the United Kingdom (UK) withdrawal from the bloc.
According to Al-Jazeera news reports, the rejection on Thursday by Michel Barnier, the EU Brexit negotiator, came as the European officials accused the PM of “bullying” and opting a “combative” bid by ratcheting up the threat of a damaged “no-deal” Brexit.
A day after taking oath as British prime minister on Thursday, Johnson set up a confrontation with Brussels by vowing to renegotiate another divorce deal, threatening if the EU rejected, he would remove his nation from the alliance on October 31 without any Brexit deal.
During his first parliamentary address as new UK PM, Johnson has said all terms of the deal struck in November by outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May were “unacceptable” that would “sign away our economic independence”.
He further urged the EU to “rethink” its rejection to a new Brexit deal, stating: “If they do not, we will of course, have to leave the EU without an agreement.”
Johnson said he would not acknowledge the Irish backdrop, a protection strategy intended to safeguard a free-streaming border between Northern Ireland and Ireland by temporarily keeping the UK attached to the EU’s economic standards. Ireland is a member of the EU, while Northern Ireland is a piece of the UK.
“It must be clearly understood that the way to the deal goes by way of the abolition of the backstop,” he said, while threatening to refuse to give back the exit payment of about 39 billion pounds ($49bn) that May had agreed to if there was “no-deal” Brexit.
In response, Barnier dismissed those conditions, calling Johnson’s demands “unacceptable”
In a note to the bloc member states, Barnier said: “As suggested by his rather combative speech, we have to be ready for a situation where he gives priority to the planning for ‘no deal’, partly to heap pressure on the unity of the EU27.”
He told the EU to “remain calm, stick to our principles and guidelines and show solidarity and unity”.
In Paris, Amelie de Montchalin, French state minister for European affairs, on Friday, said there were no doubts of renegotiating the divorce agreement, however, the different sides still had a lot to discuss.
“What is still to negotiate is the future relationship,” de Montchalin told public broadcaster France 2. “We have to create a working relationship and not get into games, gestures and provocations.”