EU Rebuts May, Claims No-Plan Brexiteers Deserve ‘Place in Hell’ – Reuters

By Gabriela Baczynska and Alastair Macdonald

BRUSSELS – The European Union has no plans to present a new proposal regarding Brexit, with European Council President Donald Tusk stating that those who advocated for Britain’s departure from the EU without a clear implementation strategy deserve a "special place in hell."

The United Kingdom is set to exit the EU on March 29 without an agreement unless Prime Minister Theresa May can persuade EU leaders to revisit the separation agreement made last November and then secure approval from skeptical lawmakers in Britain.

Tusk’s remarks highlighted the deep frustration felt by European leaders over the British parliament’s rejection of the divorce deal and May’s insistence that the EU compromise on fundamental principles to avoid chaos within just 50 days.

As companies and governments across Europe prepare for the possibility of a chaotic exit, diplomats identified three primary scenarios for the UK: leaving without a deal, securing a last-minute agreement, or postponing Brexit.

In a firm rebuff to May’s request for renegotiation just before her planned visit to Brussels, Tusk expressed skepticism about halting Brexit and emphasized the importance of preventing a "fiasco."

"I’ve been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely," Tusk remarked during a joint news conference with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

Tusk’s comment infuriated supporters of Brexit in Britain. Veteran Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage responded, asserting that a post-Brexit UK would be free from "unelected, arrogant bullies like you," which he considered preferable.

While it was clear that the EU would not alter the existing divorce deal, Tusk maintained that a mutually agreeable solution for Brexit remained possible.

Similarly, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker reinforced Tusk’s stance by stating that the legal withdrawal agreement would not be reopened, a fact May was already aware of.

Varadkar indicated that the political instability in Britain reaffirmed the necessity of a "backstop" insurance policy, aimed at keeping the border between EU member Ireland and British-ruled Northern Ireland open after Brexit.

May is set to visit Dublin on Friday.

A failure to present a revised deal could unravel the fragile unity within May’s Conservative Party, further diminishing her authority and increasing uncertainty in financial markets about the future of the British economy, which is the world’s fifth-largest.

The ratings agency Standard and Poor’s warned that a no-deal Brexit could negatively impact Britain’s credit ratings, yet emphasized that both sides have a strong incentive to reach an agreement.

In a further indication of the stakes involved in a potential disorderly Brexit, Irish nationalists cautioned May that a no-deal scenario could compel the need for a referendum on Irish unity.

"Should a crash occur… she must return to the Good Friday Agreement and prepare for a referendum on Irish unity," stated Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, referencing the landmark peace accord signed in 1998 that concluded decades of violence in Northern Ireland.

The United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU has complicated relations within its constituent parts, as England and Wales voted to leave while Scotland and Northern Ireland opted to remain.

May has expressed her goal to find an alternative solution that would eliminate the need for a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, or to implement legally binding changes to the backstop to introduce a time limit or an exit mechanism.

Brexit negotiations have encountered challenges over the 310-mile (500-km) border, particularly in finding a method to monitor trade without imposing physical checks.

The divorce agreement made in November stipulates that the backstop would be activated if both parties fail to devise a better approach to keeping the border open.

However, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which supports May’s government, argues that the backstop could jeopardize Northern Ireland’s position within the United Kingdom, while Brexit supporters within the Conservative Party fear it would bind the UK to EU regulations.

At a recent meeting in Belfast, DUP leader Arlene Foster told May that the backstop needed to be replaced but acknowledged that their conversation had been constructive.

Reports noted that British ministers are considering a plan developed by Fujitsu to monitor trade across the border, and discussions have also emerged regarding a potential eight-week delay in Brexit.

EU officials are urging May to consider a proposal from the opposition Labour Party to establish a permanent customs union with the EU, which could eliminate the necessity for the backstop and may garner support in the British parliament. However, officials are pessimistic about the prospects following May’s impending meeting in Brussels.

A senior EU diplomat remarked, "Theresa May is not delivering on what she agreed with us. Her inability to build a cross-party agreement is staggering."