Ministers had been holding out some faint hope (at least publicly) that Brexit trade talks could start this month. It was an unlikely prospect. Jean-Claude Juncker warned only a few weeks ago that it would take a ‘miracle’ for that to happen. Now, it’s official that a Brexit miracle hasn’t take place: Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, has said Brussels’ new timetable is based on the ‘hope for sufficient progress’ to be made by the end of this year, rather than in October.
This makes it clear the EU is determined to milk its trump card – stalling on talking trade – for all its worth: hardly much of a surprise. But Tusk’s message today also hints at a softening of tone in Brussels. Beforehand, EU politicians were doing their best to be neutral on whether they wanted things to progress.
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