UK2017: May says she’ll be ‘bloody difficult’ to Juncker

Brexit is the main issue on 2017 general election in UK.

After German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine, the British prime minister Theresa Mat and European Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker clashed last Wednesday at Downing Street over May’s desire to make Brexit “a success” and whether the issue of protecting the rights of expat UK and EU nationals could be agreed as early as June.

Speaking to BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, May said there were a lot of similarities and common ground in the two sides’ positions.

She added: “But look, I think what we’ve seen recently is that at times these negotiations are going to be tough.

“During the Conservative Party leadership campaign I was described by one of my colleagues as a bloody difficult woman. And I said at the time the next person to find that out will be Jean-Claude Juncker.”

Conclusion: This is a May way to lead with European Union.

Europe: UK faces hefty Brexit bill – Juncker says

Speaking to Belgian Parliament, The EU commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker has warned the UK it faces a “very hefty” bill for Brexit. He promised two years of “tough negotiation”, when discussions on leaving terms get under way between the government and the European Union.

Exit will not come “at a discount or at zero cost”, he said.

Conclusion: Tough talks in Brussels.

Europe: Turkey scolds Austria in EU membership dispute

Another European row involves Turkey. On Thursday, Austria has pledge to end accesion talks among EU and Turkey.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said the negotiations were “no more than fiction” and “Europe needs a new path”.

Turkey’s EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik said his comments were “disturbing” and “similar to far-right rhetoric”.

Turkey’s crackdown since a failed coup on 15 July has fuelled alarm in the EU. Mr Kern said democratic standards in Turkey were far from EU requirements.

Austrian Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil has criticised “signs of a dictatorship” in Turkey, and called for an end to its EU accession talks.

 

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker agreed that “Turkey cannot become a European Union member in its current state”.

But he rejected the Austrian position. “I don’t think it would be helpful if we were to tell Turkey unilaterally that the negotiations are over,” he told German ARD news.

Conclusion: Turkey is so far from EU membership now than ever.

Europe: Bitter exchanges in EU parliament debate over Brexit

This is another row among British Eurosceptic MEP Nigel Farage and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker on European Parliament sesson which discuss Brexit.

Farage was booed and called a liar and accused of using “Nazi propaganda”.

Farage shot back that the EU itself was “in denial”.

In response, Juncker as he said “I am not a robot, I am not a bureaucrat” and warned against delay in starting the exit process: “I don’t think we should see any shadow-boxing or any cat-and-mouse games. It is clear what the British people want and we should act accordingly.”

Conclusion: Europeans stay with Juncker while Britons back Farage.

Europe: EU should ‘interfere’ less – Commission boss Juncker

European Union likes to interfere on people lives. But European Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker has criticised it today. He said the EU had become involved in “too many domains where member states… are better placed to take action”.

The remarks came amid EU referendum on UK in June.

Juncker also said the EU would not relax its visa conditions for Turkey.

The “criteria (on visa liberalisation) will not be watered down in the case of Turkey”, he said, commenting on the EU’s controversial deal with Turkey aimed at tackling Europe’s migrant crisis.

Speaking to European Human Rights Court, he said: “We were wrong to over-regulate and interfere too much,” he said. For decades he has been an influential figure at the heart of EU integration moves.

“It is true we’re not very popular when we advocate for Europe. We’re no longer respected in our countries when we emphasise the need to give priority to the European Union,” Mr Juncker said.

The European project had “lost part of its attractiveness”, he warned, but said the Commission was taking steps to address it.

Conclusion: EU is very boring with their citizens

UK: David Cameron in Brussels for crucial EU talks

The British Prime Minister David Cameron goes to Brussels for crucial talks over EU-UK relationship amid EU Summit on Thursday. He meets with European Parliament president Martin Schulz. Schulz said MEPs would adopt a “constructive” approach to any deal.

But he said he could offer no guarantees it would get MEPs’ backing.

Several parts of final deal should be approved by European Parliament and 27 EU membership countries because requires changes on treaties.

British PM is also meeting European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to discuss the reforms the UK is seeking to its relationship with the EU, as he continues his diplomatic push.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr Juncker said there was no “plan B” as he refused to contemplate Britain leaving the 28-member bloc.

“I am not entering into the details of a plan B, because we don’t have a plan B, we have a plan A. Britain will stay in the European Union as a constructive and active member of the Union,” he said.

In other develpoment on Tuesday the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, spoke at a Foreign Office awards ceremony of how “in an increasingly turbulent world, our ability to unite in common action with other nations is essential”.

This was interpreted by some as signalling the Duke’s support for staying in the EU, with Britain Stronger in Europe saying “people from all walks of life are getting behind the campaign”. However the rival Leave.EU campaign said they “could just as easily claim” his words showed “we should not give any importance to the EU”.

A spokesman for the prince later denied it was an intervention in the EU debate, saying it was a speech to young diplomats and the word “Europe” was not mentioned once.

Conclusion: Even Prince William supports EU.

 

Europe: EU Commission’s Juncker seeks ‘fair deal’ for UK despite Cameron pressure

The head of European Commission, Jean-Claude Junker has spoken with journalist during the flight back from Ukraine. He says he wants a “fair deal” for the UK in Europe and does not rule out making minor changes to EU treaties. Also, EU commissioner said it was too early to decide what treaty changes might be necessary.

“I do exclude major treaty changes as far as the freedom of movement is concerned – but other points can be mentioned,” he told reporters.

British Prime Minister David Cameron want changes on EU membership will be held by referendum in 2017 if Conservatives wins the May 7th General Election.

Juncker said he did not want Britain to leave the EU, but also did not want Britain to “impose a European agenda which would not be shared by others”.

“I do think that we need a fair deal with Britain – but it’s up to Britain to put forward their proposals, their requests, their ideas.

“It’s up to them to take initiatives and then we’ll take them under exam in a very polite, friendly, objective way,” he told reporters on a flight back from Ukraine.

Juncker accused politicians and sections of the UK press of misreporting his position on treaty change.

“I made it perfectly clear during the [European election] campaign that I want a fair deal with Britain.

“Unfortunately the British government and the British press are not listening and are blind when others are speaking so they did ignore that.”

He also complained about a British press report last week, which suggested he had said there would be no treaty change from now to 2019. It quoted an unnamed EU official.

“I am the only EU official to be quoted when it comes to Britain,” he insisted.

Cameron want to change EU migration treaty. But Juncker don’t move it. The solution is a separate protocol for UK over net migration.

Conclusion: Juncker and his British headaches

Europe: Greece debt talks are too slow, says EC chief Juncker

Eurozone and Greece has many problems to solve. On Friday, European Commission Chief, Jean-Claude Junker has met the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. Juncker said he was “not satisfied with the developments in recent weeks”.

“I don’t think that we have made sufficient progress, but we’ll try to push in the direction of a successful conclusion of the issues we have to deal with.”

However, he ruled out failure in the talks, which could precipitate Greece’s exit from the eurozone.

“I am totally excluding a failure, I don’t want a failure. I would like Europeans to go together. This is not the time for division,” he said.

Meanwhile, Greek PM said he remained optimistic. “If there is political will, everything is possible,” he said.

Conclusion: Europe wants the road-runner as chief negotiator?

Greece: Tsipras faces ‘straight talking’ from EU’s Schulz

The new Greek government must be calm down Europe. On interview of German Bild newspaper, head of European Parliament, Martin Schulz said he would encourage the Syriza leader to clamp down on tax evasion in Greece. But he said he would focus on “straight talking” and had “no desire” to debate fiscal plans.

So, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the president of the Eurogroup club of eurozone finance ministers, will visit Athens on Friday

.Ahead of the dignitaries’ trips, the president of the European Commission reiterated that cancelling Greece’s huge debt was not an option

.”Greece must comply with Europe,” Jean-Claude Juncker said in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro on Thursday, stressing that “there is no question of cancelling the debt”.

“Arrangements are possible, but they will not fundamentally alter what is in place.”

Conclusion: Greek PM Alexis Tsipras has a hard job go ahead.

Europe: Juncker reveals giant EU investment plan despite criticism by unions

After the pope said Europe is “elderly and harggard” on Tuesday. On Wednesday, president of European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker announces the plan to boost inevstiment on Europe.

He has given details of a €315bn (£250bn; $393bn) investment plan to kick-start Europe’s economy. At its heart is a new €21bn fund that would provide loans for infrastructure projects. Juncker hopes most of the rest of the money will come from private backers.

The plan is criticised by gamble to attractive private investiment.

There was immediate scepticism from the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) whose General Secretary, Bernadette Segol, suggested the Commission was “relying on a financial miracle like the loaves and fishes”.

She said she did not believe that €315bn could be raised from €21bn, a leverage factor of 15 which the ETUC argued was “almost certainly unrealistic”.

Conclusion: Juncker is his faith on private investiment.