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BREXIT

France must still prepare for risk of no-deal Brexit, says French PM

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned Thursday that despite a draft accord between London and the EU on Britain's exit from the bloc, the prospect of Britain's crashing out without a deal was "still on the table" and so preparations must carry on.

Published: 15 November 2018 16:20 CET
France must still prepare for risk of no-deal Brexit, says French PM
Photo: AFP

“There's no way to know if an accord will finally be agreed,” Philippe said during a visit to Dunkirk, northern France, to discuss the eventual consequences of Brexit for French port operations.

“It will not have escaped attention that British political news might feed questions and worries as to whether the accord will effectively be ratified,” he said.

“So we have to prepare for the possibility that is still on the table — which we do not want, I say that very clearly, but which is still on the table — of an exit with no deal,” Philippe said.

READ ALSO: What France's no-deal Brexit bill means for Brits in France

No-deal Brexit: What France's draft law means for Brits in France

His comments came as British Prime Minister Theresa May tried to sell her Brexit deal to parliament in the wake of the resignation of four ministers, including Brexit secretary Dominic Raab.

May said the preliminary accord announced Wednesday was the best Britain could hope for as the March 29, 2019, exit date looms.

“The course is clear: we can choose to leave with no deal, we can risk no Brexit at all, or we can choose to unite and support the best deal that can be negotiated,” she told lawmakers in London on Thursday.

Earlier, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the preliminary accord was “good news for the French economy.”

The fact that an agreement has been found “is good news for the French economy, good news for all French firms. It's in everyone's interest that Brexit should go ahead smoothly”, he told France 2 television.

Brexit deal is 'good news for French economy'

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2024 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

‘Don’t be like Brits, who cried after Brexit’ – warns French prime minister

France's prime minister on Thursday warned the French against casting votes for the far right in next month's European elections, saying they risked becoming like Brits who backed Brexit only to have second thoughts when it was too late.

Published: 30 May 2024 14:07 CEST
'Don't be like Brits, who cried after Brexit' - warns French prime minister

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal faces an uphill struggle to narrow a yawning gap with the far right before France votes on June 9th, with polls forecasting a major defeat for the government of President Emmanuel Macron.

Attal accused the far-right Rassemblement Rally (RN) of pursuing policies that would equate to France no longer being in the European Union, even if the party insists it no longer wants a French “Frexit” withdrawal from the bloc.

Listen to the team from The Local (including some Brits) discussing France’s European election campaign in this week’s Talking France podcast. Download here or listen on the link below

“Don’t be like the British who cried after Brexit,” Attal told RTL.

“When you say you are not going to respect the rules of the single market anymore, not pay France’s dues and stop respecting most of the treaties, the reality is that we are no longer in the EU.”

Attal referred to recent UK polls showing that, if there was a repeat of the 2016 referendum on EU membership, Britain would vote to stay.

“A large majority of British regret Brexit and sometimes regret voting for something that was negative for their country,” he said.

Painting a bleak picture of post-Brexit Britain, Attal said there was “more illegal immigration than ever” and “massive economic problems”.

“France will not be stronger by being alone,” he said.

The latest poll published Monday by Ifop for Le Figaro showed the RN scoring 33.5 percent in the polls, way ahead of the government alliance based around Macron’s Renaissance party on just 16 percent.

Attal, 35, last week went head-to-head in a TV debate with the head of the RN list Jordan Bardella, 28, with government supporters crowing afterwards the premier has exposed a lack of substance in his opponent.

But there has been little sign of the debate making an impression on polls, with questions also asked over why Attal needed to impose himself instead of the little-known head of the pro-Macron list Valérie Hayer by taking on the debate.

Analysts add that the government list is in danger of even coming third in the election behind the Socialist list led by ex-commentator Raphaël Glucksmann, which scored 14.5 percent in the Ifop poll.

“Will France be the country that sends the largest contingent of far-right lawmakers to the European Parliament?” asked Attal.

If the far right arrived in force at the parliament, he said, it “could have the capacity to block European institutions, which would lead to very dangerous consequences for our country.”

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