France has accused Boris Johnson’s government of manipulating the Brexit process by seeking to negotiate “mini deals” with individual EU member states that would cushion the blow of crashing out of the bloc.
Amélie de Montchalin, France’s Europe minister, said the British were trying to set up bilateral meetings to organise what they call a “managed no-deal”. Brussels has repeatedly urged governments to rebuff such attempts, as they risk undermining the EU’s efforts to broker a comprehensive exit agreement with the UK.
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, has said that there is no such thing as a managed no-deal, and that in such a scenario the union would refuse any negotiations with Britain until it paid the £39bn exit bill agreed on by Theresa May, honoured commitments to EU citizens’ rights, and helped find solutions to prevent a hard Irish border.
Ms de Montchalin’s warning came on the same day that German chancellor Angela Merkel said that Berlin was prepared for a “disorderly Brexit”. She underlined that post-Brexit Britain would be an “economic competitor at our door”, in a sign of how Mr Johnson’s determination to veer away from EU regulations has stoked concerns about his intentions in national capitals.
EU diplomats in Brussels confirmed that the UK government had been making direct overtures to governments as part of its preparations for a no-deal exit. One national official said the contacts had covered issues such as mutual access to health services, co-ordination of social security systems and voting rights in local elections.
Officials co-ordinating no-deal planning in the 27 remaining EU countries discussed the British approaches at a meeting in Brussels on September 5. The Council, the EU institution that brings together national governments, subsequently sent an email out to governments asking them to report on any contacts.
The email, seen by the FT, asks whether “national authorities [had] been approached by UK representatives in view of discussing bilateral agreements and/or administrative arrangements and/or memorandum of understanding or any other type of arrangement in view of a no-deal Brexit? If so, in which sector/domain?”
It also asks them whether they have entered into any agreements.
Ms de Montchalin, who was speaking at a news conference after a meeting with ambassadors from all EU countries other than Britain, said:
“What the British are looking to do is to take the rather special relationship they have with each member state and see if they can recreate it before the moment of divorce, of separation, thanks to these mini-deals.”
“It’s totally contrary to the spirit in which we are negotiating,” she said, adding that the attempts had failed.
She reiterated the French position that Britain could only be granted an extension for Brexit beyond the current October 31 deadline if the UK government requested one and if conditions had changed sufficiently — because of a general election, for example — to justify granting more time.
France now says a no-deal Brexit is the most likely outcome and is seeking to prepare its citizens and its companies for the likely disruption.
The first rehearsal for the use of an automated customs system — in which transport companies will seek advance electronic clearance for their trucks and freight through customs — will be held in the Normandy ferry port of Ouistreham near Caen on Thursday.
“The idea is really to be as ready as possible for a no-deal Brexit,” said Olivier Dussopt, the junior budget minister. France has hired an extra 600 customs officers, and is now training 100 more, principally for Calais and the Channel tunnel.
