Angela Merkel gives Boris Johnson 30 days to find solution to avoid no-deal Brexit
- German chancellor has face-to-face meeting with British PM as he makes first overseas visit to Berlin and Paris
- Ultimatum made against backdrop of pessimism in EU as French and Irish officials see no-deal to be increasingly likely outcome
Angela Merkel has challenged Boris Johnson to come up with a solution to avert a no-deal Brexit “in the next 30 days”, putting responsibility for stopping Britain crashing out of the EU firmly at the prime minister’s door.
After weeks of diplomatic tension, the German chancellor used her first face-to-face meeting with her British counterpart on Wednesday to signal cautious optimism that a deal could be struck, suggesting that the backstop was “a place holder that will no longer be necessary” if a solution to the impasse over the Irish border can be found.
Suggesting that changes to the political declaration could yet provide a way forward, Merkel said an agreement could take two years, “but maybe we can find that solution in the next 30 days”.
Merkel’s remarks came on day one of Johnson’s crucial visit to Berlin and Paris, his first overseas trip since he entered No 10 as Brexit negotiations heat up once more.
But her olive branch was set against a backdrop of pessimism across the EU, with French officials warning that Paris now views a no-deal Brexit as “the most likely outcome” and Ireland’s foreign minister warning that no-deal was now more likely than ever.