BERLIN, Dec. 12 -- The German government urged British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday to remain honest in her public communication about the recent breakthrough in Brexit negotiations.
Germany's Europe Minister Michael Roth told press it was imperative that May truthfully adhered to the text of last week's agreement in Brussels on the first stage of Britain's departure from the bloc.
"One must appear and speak (in Brussels), just as one does in London," Roth said.
The Europe Minister said he was "confused" about the difference in narratives presented by British policymakers during the negotiations in the European Union's de-facto capital on the one hand, and to domestic audiences on the other.
Roth's comments were referring to a speech given by May in the British Houses of Parliament on Monday, in which she seemed to suggest that Britain's payment of a "divorce bill" was still contingent on achieving a free trade agreement to govern future relations.
This assertion directly contradicts key passages of the agreement between the EU and Britain which state that the payment of a financial settlement will be enshrined in a legally-binding exit treaty regardless of the outcome of trade talks.
Based on the outlines of the methodology to calculate outstanding liabilities which have surfaced so far in European media, the bill presented to Britain as a consequence of its departure is estimated to amount to around 45 billion euros (53 billion U.S dollars).
Roth's concern that Britain was backtracking on its commitments was shared by members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on Wednesday.
Delegates in the assembly were particularly irked by a comment made by British Brexit secretary David Davis which likened the Brussels agreement to a "statement of intent" rather than a "legally-enforceable thing".
In response, German MEP Manfred Weber called for the EU to send a clear signal to May to clarify her stance, while the European Parliament's chief negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, warned that progress on the second stage of negotiations was only possible in an environment of trust.
The EU also reacted by hardening its stance on Brexit, with senior national officials effecting a change of draft guidelines on the next stage of talks which are scheduled to be agreed this week.
According to the new text cited by the Financial Times newspaper, discussion of the future relationship between the EU and Britain cannot begin before March.
The document further emphasizes that London will be fully bound by EU rules and regulations throughout a potential transition phase after 2019 without retaining any influence over their formulation.
全球失业率创新高 失业人数达2亿
俄村庄气温超零下71℃ 获称地球寒极
研究:老板生小孩 员工降薪水?
戴妃婚前亲密照中神秘男子身份曝光
意前总理老贝宣布和27岁小女友订婚
荷兰男子参加模拟分娩实验 称如酷刑
温丝莱特秘密完婚 莱昂纳多牵其走红毯
研究称啤酒可防感冒 要大量喝才有效
闺蜜曝凯特王妃怀孕 将于下月宣布喜讯
奥巴马将“第四次”宣誓就任总统
贝克汉姆之子罗密欧时尚T台露锋芒
蝈蝈历险记
印度黑公交轮奸案主谋竟是未成年人
美小学枪击案 6岁女童装死逃生
福布斯2017最具权势人物榜 奥巴马登顶
普京命令官员申报个人消费 超出收入部分充公
查尔斯王储夫妇乘地铁庆通车150周年
谎言到底意味着什么?
洛杉矶警方控枪妙招:用购物卡换枪
研究:阅读古典文学可促进大脑发展
习近平在中央政治局常委中外记者见面会上的讲话(双语对照)[1]
英男性对职场超短裙说不 称其太分心
印度某村禁止女孩穿牛仔裤以免被强奸
盘点世界各国千奇百怪的迎新年风俗
意大利等欧洲国家逐步取消封锁措施 重新开放学校和商店
奥巴马就职舞会 米歇尔红裙惊艳[1]
澳总理“力挺”末日论 盼人民战斗到底
英国举行世界撒谎大赛 律师政客禁止参赛
俄将在地堡办末日聚会 门票上千美元
最美丽的谎言
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |