Germany’s Europe Minister Michael Roth has warned Britain that a new prime minister in the country will not be allowed to pressure the European Union to change the terms of an existing withdrawal deal for the UK.
“The EU and its member states cannot be blackmailed,” Roth said on Tuesday while insisting that the EU and member states will not be prepared to renegotiate the terms of the current Brexit deal signed between London and Brussels in November no matter who leads a new government in Britain.
The comments came as some of the Conservative lawmakers seeking to replace outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May have vowed they would force the EU to change the Brexit deal so that it could be passed by the British parliament after three defeats imposed on May.
Roth said that would not be the case, adding that EU’s position on the Brexit deal will not change whoever the next British premier is.
“I see no willingness to restart negotiations from the beginning. The candidates would do well to bear that in mind in the course of their internal party campaigns,” he told the Reuters news agency.
Boris Johnson, the favorite to win a Tory Party leadership race in late July to become Britain’s next premier, has vowed that he would withhold billions in liabilities owed to the EU’s budget if the bloc does not agree to new agreements on Brexit before a withdrawal deadline comes at the end of October.
A European Commission spokesman insisted on Tuesday that that Johnson would not be able to live up to his pledge.
“Everybody knows what is on the table. What is on the table has been approved by all member states and the election of a new prime minister will not change the parameters,” said the spokesman.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/11617
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