Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Cameron’s EU summit: Long night ahead in Brussels

Journalists are waiting in the glass smoking pen at the Justus Lipsius building for the next development in the negotiations over Britain’s EU deal and the migration crisis. There’s a working session focused on the renegotiation followed by a working dinner this evening, where leaders will discuss migration. Nigel Farage is also strolling around the building, though he has yet to start puffing away in the smoking pen.

IMG_2373

Hacks from all the EU member states are trotting across the press room to take part in huddles – clusters of journalists around a spokesperson who briefs them on or off the record – about how the talks are going and the negotiating position of their country.

FullSizeRender

As the night wears on – and it looks as though it is going to be a long night – there will be more briefings on what has been secured and what’s still in the square brackets.

These square brackets are the areas that are still up for agreement, and there need to be no brackets left for European leaders to reach a deal. After the working dinner, the Prime Minister and Donald Tusk will have another bilateral session and then it isn’t clear whether Cameron plans to stay up all night to try to seal the deal, or whether Tusk will continue without him, with the Prime Minister returning for the morning sessions.

In the meantime, there’s always the lovely artwork to look at:

IMG_2374 IMG_2375

Cameron is addressing his fellow leaders to make his case for a deal – and we’ll bring you more details of the Prime Minister’s words in a Brussels special of our Evening Blend email. Subscribe for free here.

Comments