French President Emmanuel Macron told Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson there was not enough time in the month ahead to negotiate a new Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday challenged Britain to come up with alternatives to the Irish border backstop within 30 days — a challenge which Johnson readily accepted.
“What Chancellor Merkel said yesterday, and which is in line with the substance of our talks, is that we need visibility in 30 days,” Macron told reporters standing alongside Johnson. “Nobody is going to wait until Oct. 31 without trying to find a good solution.”
Macron’s and Johnson’s meeting comes days before leaders the G7, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom, are slated to meet for three days starting Saturday in Biarritz to tackle hot-button issues, including trade rifts, climate change and Iran.