(Bloomberg) -- Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron will meet on Thursday, the U.K. prime minister’s first bilateral with a European leader since calling for fresh momentum to secure a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.
Macron, who is visiting Britain to commemorate the 80th anniversary of General Charles de Gaulle’s famous broadcast from London during World War II, will discuss a range of issues with Johnson, including their shared efforts to combat coronavirus, according to a statement from 10 Downing Street.
Johnson’s discussions with the French president come as Britain urgently seeks a new economic relationship with the European Union, its largest trading partner, seeking to avoid a disruptive economic shock when the Brexit transition period ends at year-end. Johnson held an hour-long video call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other EU officials on Monday, saying the negotiations needed “a bit of oomph” but the prospects for an accord are “very good.”
The two sides have hit stumbling blocks over contentious issues such as access to U.K. fishing waters and the future role of the European Court of Justice in Britain’s affairs. Without a deal, Britain and the EU would revert to trading on World Trade Organization terms, meaning tariffs on trade and hurting businesses already depleted by the coronavirus pandemic.
On Wednesday, von der Leyen signaled the EU may be willing to compromise on some of its demands, but warned that the bloc isn’t prepared to sacrifice its principles for the sake of an agreement.
‘Actually Done’
However, Britain and the EU still have a long way to go to overcome their differences. Von der Leyen stuck to the EU’s tough line on the way any agreement is managed and how disputes are resolved, one of the major sticking points in talks.
“Governance may sound like an issue for bureaucrats,” she said. “But this is central for businesses and private citizens both in the U.K. and in the EU to ensure that what has been agreed is actually done.”
Johnson’s meeting with Macron follows a difficult day on Wednesday, when he was involved in a minor vehicle collision and faced pressure from his own lawmakers to relax the country’s 2-meter social distancing guideline to boost the economy.
“The struggles we face today are different to those we confronted together 80 years ago,” Johnson said, in comments released ahead of the meeting with Macron. “The U.K. and France will continue to rise to every new challenge and seize every opportunity that lies ahead.”
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
