Ireland has indicated it would be prepared to allow Brexit negotiations to continue beyond the March 2019 deadline. Germany's top diplomat Heiko Maas, however, has once again stressed that time is of the essence.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AA/K. Green
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Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney called out British euroskeptic lawmakers on Wednesday, warning against too much "bravado" over a potential no-deal scenario following Brexit.
Coveney said that politicians and parts of the British media were "talking up, inappropriately, the possibility of a no-deal Brexit," although he added that such an outcome was unlikely.
"Clearly, for Ireland, a no deal Brexit is very bad news. Clearly, for Britain, a no deal Brexit is very bad news too," he told the BBC.
The Republic of Ireland is considered a key player in the Brexit negotiations, given that it shares a land border with Northern Ireland and that the UK accounts for almost 25 percent of all Irish imports and 13 percent of exports.
Coveney: Brexit 'a tragedy'
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Coveney reiterates calls to extend Brexit deadline, if necessary
Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said on Tuesday that he was open to a possible extension of the
Adriano Bosoni, Senior Europe Analyst at Stratfor, told DW that Article 50 negotiations could be extended provided the EU member states support their continuation.
"It could be another year; it could be another two years. The treaties do not specify the length of the extension; they only say that if there is unanimity and the 27 members vote for it, there could be an extension," Bosoni said. "I do not rule this out because this is such a chaotic situation and nobody really knows what's going to happen."
Germany's Heiko Maas: Time is of the essence for Westminster
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, however, appeared to rule out the chance of a Brexit extension on Wednesday, maintaining that Britain was still under immense pressure to strike a deal with the EU before October.
The UK must move swiftly "so that the withdrawal is as regulated as possible," Maas told Germany's Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers. "It's not five minutes to midnight; it's already two to midnight."
Germany's top diplomat also stressed that the EU must remain an "undivided domestic market, from which the British can't be allowed to cherry pick."
Article 50 of the European treaties allows for a two-year widow for a member state to leave the bloc. The deadline for the UK's exit is currently March 29, 2019, although Brussels has insisted that negotiations must be concluded by October so that the final deal can be ratified by the 27 individual member states in time.
The UK Home Office on Wednesday launched what it dubs a "toolkit" offering advice to companies employing EU citizens who wish to remain in the country after Brexit.
The toolkit reportedly comes with leaflets, posters and a briefing pack designed to "help employers across the UK communicate clear and consistent messages about the EU Settlement Scheme", the government explained.
"The toolkit will help us to reach out to all EU citizens living in this country and help them get their new immigration status," Home Secretary Sajid Javid said. "Our settlement scheme will offer security and certainty to EU citizens living in the UK."
Britain's new settlement scheme for EU citizens will be phased in later this year before fully launching by the end of next March. The deadline for settlement applications is June 30, 2021
Who's who in Brexit?
Britain is leaving the European Union, but who exactly is directing the drama? DW takes a look at the people involved in the messy divorce.
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Britain's embattled skipper: Theresa May
May became prime minister after David Cameron resigned from the post in the wake of the Brexit referendum vote in June 2016. Despite her position, she has struggled to define what kind of Brexit her government wants. Hardliners within her Conservative party want her to push for a clean break. Others want Britain to stay close to the bloc. The EU itself has rejected many of May's Brexit demands.
The leader of the British Labour Party has no formal role in the Brexit talks, but he is influential as the head of the main opposition party. Labour has tried to pressure the Conservative government, which has a thin majority in Parliament, to seek a "softer" Brexit. But Corbyn's own advocacy has been lukewarm. The long-time leftist voted for the UK to leave the European Community (EC) in 1975.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/A. Chown
Britain's boisterous Brexiteer: Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson's turbulent two years as UK foreign secretary came to an abrupt end with his resignation on July 9. The conservative had been a key face for the Leave campaign during the 2016 referendum campaign. Johnson disapproves of the "soft Brexit" sought by PM May, arguing that a complete break from the EU might be preferable. He became the second Cabinet member within 24 hours to quit...
Image: picture alliance/AP Images/M. Turner
Britain's cheery ex-delegate: David Davis
David Davis headed Britain's Department for Exiting the EU and was the country's chief negotiator in the talks before he quit on July 8, less than 24 hours before Downing Street announced Boris Johnson's departure. Davis had long opposed Britain's EU membership and was picked for the role for this reason. Davis was involved in several negotiating rounds with his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/V: Mayo
Britain's former Brexit secretary: Dominic Raab
Raab replaced Davis in early July 2018. But he only lasted four months, resigning a day after Theresa May presented a draft withdrawal plan to her cabinet. Raab previously worked for a Palestinian negotiator in the Oslo peace process and as an international lawyer in Brussels advising on European Union and World Trade Organization law.
Jeremy Hunt was Britain's Health Secretary until he replaced Boris Johnson as foreign secretary in early July 2018. The 51-year-old supported Britain remaining in the European Union during the 2016 referendum, but said in late 2017 that he had changed his mind in response to the "the arrogance of the EU Commission" during Brexit talks. He has vowed to help get Britain a "great Brexit deal."
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot
Britain's firebrand: Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage was the leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) until July 2016. Under his stewardship, the party helped pressure former Prime Minister David Cameron into calling the EU referendum. He was also a prominent activist in the Leave campaign in the lead-up to the vote. Farage still has some influence over Brexit talks due to his popularity with pro-Leave voters.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/F. Florin
Brexit's banker: Arron Banks
Businessman Arron Banks is a friend of Nigel Farage, and donated a significant sum to the former UKIP leader's Leave.EU campaign – making him the group's biggest financial backer. He had several meetings with Russian officials ahead of the referendum, but has denied allegations of collusion with Moscow in the Brexit vote, branding the claims a "political witch hunt."
Image: Getty Images/J. Taylor
Europe's honchos: Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk
EU Commission President Juncker (left) and EU Council President Tusk (right) share two of the bloc's highest posts. Juncker heads the EU's executive. Tusk represents the governments of the 27 EU countries — the "EU 27." Both help formulate the EU's position in Brexit negotiations. What Tusk says is particularly noteworthy: His EU 27 masters — not the EU commission — must agree to any Brexit deal.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Vanden
Europe's steely diplomat: Michel Barnier
The former French foreign minister and European commissioner has become a household name across the EU since his appointment as the bloc's chief Brexit negotiator in October 2016. Despite his prominence, Barnier has limited room to maneuver. He is tasked with following the EU 27's strict guidelines and must regularly report back to them during the negotiations.
Image: Reuters/Y. Herman
Ireland's uneasy watchman: Leo Varadkar
The Irish PM has been one of the most important EU 27 leaders in Brexit talks. Britain has said it will leave the EU's customs union and single market. That could force the Republic of Ireland, an EU member, to put up customs checks along the border with Northern Ireland, a British province. But Varadkar's government has repeatedly said the return of a "hard" border is unacceptable.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/B. Lawless/PA Wire
Europe's power-brokers: the EU 27
The leaders of the EU 27 governments have primarily set the EU's negotiating position. They have agreed to the negotiating guidelines for chief negotiator Barnier and have helped craft the common EU position for Tusk and Juncker to stick to. The individual EU 27 governments can also influence the shape of any Brexit outcome because they must unanimously agree to a final deal.
