European Union: Only a Miracle Can Advance Brexit Negotiations by the End of October

The President of the European Commission believes that only a 'miracle' can lead to Britain starting negotiations with the European Union next month regarding its future relations with the bloc. According to Reuters, Jean-Claude Juncker stated on Friday, October 7, that discussions between Britain and the EU on issues such as the rights of foreign migrants in Britain, the border between Britain and Ireland (an EU member), and Britain's financial payments have not progressed enough to reach the next stage. British Prime Minister Theresa May hopes to have an informal meeting with EU leaders on the sidelines of the EU summit in Estonia to encourage them to move beyond discussions on how Britain will exit the EU and its conditions, and to negotiate the future relationship between the two sides. Meanwhile, Britain is determined to make progress at the Brussels summit scheduled for October 19 and 20, but the President of the European Commission is not optimistic about this matter. Mr. Juncker stated, 'We will not see any significant progress by the end of October unless miracles happen.' Reuters notes that other EU leaders have echoed the sentiments of the European Commission, including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who said that both sides need 'a small miracle' to achieve progress before the Brussels summit. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar also remarked that 'it is clear that there is still a lot of work to be done.' These statements, however, could be a cold shower for Theresa May, who wants to quickly shift the discussion towards the future of trade relations between Britain and the EU. The EU has previously emphasized that Britain must settle its debts before any agreement. Theresa May recently proposed a 'two-year' transitional period after Britain's exit, during which both sides could finalize the details of Brexit. She also promised that London would pay its debt to the EU's common fund by March 2019.