Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 1 March 2018

EU unveils Brexit draft, ramping up pressure on Britain

By LORNE COOK essentially at the half-way
JILL LAWLESS mark.
Associated Press By translating progress, or
BRUSSELS (AP) — Con- the lack of it, into a legal
cerned that time is fast text, the EU is ramping up
running out, the European pressure on May, whose
Union moved Wednes- government is creaking
day to force Britain’s hand amid divisions from within
in Brexit negotiations by and growing opposition
publishing a draft text that pressure from across the
distils into legal language aisle in parliament.
what they have — and By far the most contentious
even what they have not section of the text — which
— agreed so far about Brit- is a draft and likely to be
ain’s departure. significantly altered — con-
British Prime Minister Theresa cerns the transit of goods,
May immediately branded services and people across
part of the 120-page docu- the border between EU
ment unacceptable and a member state Ireland and
likely threat to her country’s Northern Ireland, which is
constitutional order. part of the United Kingdom.
Britain officially leaves the Britain and the EU agreed
EU on March 29 next year in December that the all-
but Brexit talks must con- but-invisible border would
clude this fall so that parlia- European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier holds a draft document as he addresses a remain open after Brexit in
ments have time to ratify media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018. European Union 2019, but they left it unclear
the final withdrawal agree- Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier unveiled in Brussels on Wednesday the first draft legal text of the how that would happen in
ment. The new text summa- EU’s agreement so far with Britain on the country’s departure from the bloc next year. practice
rizes all aspects of the talks (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) Lacking “agreed solutions”
so far, but takes a tough months the U.K. will no lon- public, Barnier told report- operating, how long a tran- so far, the EU draft suggests
line on issues where British ger be a member of the Eu- ers that “this draft text con- sition period should last to that Northern Ireland would
input is lacking. ropean Union. That’s what tains no surprises for our Brit- help ease Britain out from remain within the bloc’s
“If we want to succeed in it wanted.” ish friends.” next year, and to explain customs union, creating
these negotiations, and I While rumors about the EU leaders have been push- her government’s vision of a virtual border in the Irish
want to succeed, we must document’s content an- ing May to provide more their future relations. Sea between Britain and
accelerate,” EU chief Brexit gered some on the other details about how she sees But they have been frus- its own territory where cus-
negotiator Michel Barnier side of the English Channel the border between Ire- trated by the lack of feed- toms checks would have to
said Wednesday. “In 13 even before it was made land and Northern Ireland back, with negotiations be carried out.q

Berlusconi pick for premier, Tajani, campaigns in Brussels

By NICOLE WINFIELD isn’t far from his mind even expected to be enough to 1994. la a list of his proposed
Associated Press as he continues with his govern alone. Often uttered in the same cabinet.
ROME (AP) — The man day job. That could give the edge breath as Tajani as a stable Tajani met in Brussels with
tapped by Silvio Berlusconi Tajani, who is about half- to Berlusconi’s center-right possible choice is the cur- the delegation of workers
as his likely choice for Italy’s way through his stint as coalition of his Forza Italia rent premier, Paolo Genti- from Whirlpool’s Embraco
next premier met Wednes- parliament president, has party, the anti-immigrant loni, in the event of a For- plant near Turin, which
day with laid off Italian emerged as one of the nationalist League and the za Italia coalition with the is slated for closure. He
union workers and vowed most talked-about pos- right-wing Brothers of Italy. Democratic Party of Mat- vowed to intervene with
to pull strings to intervene sibilities for premier after Berlusconi, who can’t run teo Renzi. U.S.-based Whirlpool and
in the politically clamorous Sunday’s election, which for office because of a Italian President Sergio Brazil-based Embraco “to
closure of their Turin refrig- analysts say is far more tax fraud conviction, has Matarella will hold con- make them understand
erator factory. unpredictable than Italy’s flagged Tajani as a possible sultations in the days after that this isn’t the way to in-
European Parliament Presi- usual chaotic political fare. coalition-pleasing moder- the vote to try to sound out vest positively in Europe.”
dent Antonio Tajani met While polls have consistent- ate, a loyal Forza Italia ally who could form a govern- Another Berlusconi ally,
with the delegation on the ly placed the anti-estab- who was with Berlusconi ment. meanwhile, Giorgia Meloni,
sidelines of a parliamentary lishment 5-Star Movement when the media mogul Jumping the gun late Tues- traveled to Hungary to call
plenary meeting in Brussels, as the top vote-getter for a founded the party and day was 5-Star leader Luigi on its right-wing, populist
a sign that Italy’s election single party, its margin isn’t won his first premiership in Di Maio, who sent Matarel- leader, Viktor Orban. q