Page 8 - aruba-today-20170504

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 4 May 2017
British leader accuses EU officials of election interference

polls. that she is a tough lady.”
May’s comments follow Earlier, the EU’s chief Brexit
leaked comments in the negotiator Michel Barnier
British and European press insisted that Britain’s ac-
suggesting the EU thinks counts must be settled
Britain is not facing real- before any talks on its fu-
ity about the conditions ture trade relationship with
of its EU exit and the com- the EU can take place, as
plexity of the negotiations he warned that time is run-
ahead. ning out to seal a deal by
“The events of the last few 2019.
days have shown that — Unveiling the Commission’s
whatever our wishes, and negotiating mandate for
however reasonable the Britain’s departure, Barnier
positions of Europe’s other said he was not hostile to
leaders — there are some Britain and the bloc did not
in Brussels who do not want want to punish it for leaving
these talks to succeed,” — but “we have to settle
she said.
The head of the EU’s ex- the account, not more not
ecutive Commission, Jean- less.”
Claude Juncker, expressed The amount London owes
British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to the media outside 10 Downing Street after returning regret that details of his pri- the EU has become one of
from visiting Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, in London where she asked for the dissolu- vate dinner with May last the most contentious sub-
tion of Parliament ahead of the upcoming general election, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. week had made the news. jects in the Brexit process,
(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) A German news report with some reports estimat-

LORNE COOK from the bloc. politicians and officials.” said that Juncker left the ing it could climb to as
JILL LAWLESS Just hours after the EU un- “All of these acts have meeting saying he was “10 much as 100 billion euros
Associated Press veiled its plan for Brexit been deliberately timed to times more skeptical than I ($109 billion) — a figure that
BRUSSELS (AP) — British talks, which delays discus- affect the result of the gen- was before” that negotia- Britain has flatly rejected
Prime Minister Theresa May sion on issues like trade that eral election that will take tions will succeed. May dis- paying.
on Wednesday accused are so dear to Britain, May place on 8 June,” she told missed the report as “Brus- U.K. Brexit Secretary David
European Union officials of said that “the European reporters outside 10 Down- sels gossip.” Davis told ITV that Britain
trying to influence the U.K. Commission’s negotiat- ing Street, in a speech May also vowed Tuesday “will meet our international
elections, ratcheting up ing stance has hardened. aimed at rallying support to be a “bloody difficult obligations,” but added:
tensions with Brussels over Threats against Britain have for her Conservative Party woman” in Brexit talks. “We will not be paying 100
her country’s departure been issued by European ahead of next month’s Juncker said: “I have noted billion.”q

Not the weak link now: Eurozone outpaces the US and UK in Q1

agency Eurostat was in line countries. Germany, the
with expectations but may eurozone’s biggest econ-
prove a slight disappoint- omy, remains the fulcrum
ment to some in the mar- and its sustained econom-
kets following a run of other ic expansion is expected
strong data. to continue through to the
A number of economists country’s general election
had predicted a pick-up later this year.
in the rate of growth from A string of general elections
the previous quarter’s 0.5 in key eurozone states has
percent. been identified as a poten-
Still, the eurozone grew tial risk to economic growth
faster than the U.S. econ- this year, as populist or ex-
omy, which during the first tremist parties could en-
quarter expanded by 0.7 danger the region’s com-
percent on an annualized mitment to the euro. So far,
basis, way below the eu- defeats for populist politi-
rozone’s equivalent rate of cians in Austria and the
about 2 percent. Netherlands have shored
The eurozone economy has up confidence in the mar-
been expanding steadily kets that there won’t be a
since 2013 but has failed lurch toward a breakup of
Pedestrians pass a poster depicting a map of Greece with the letter E being replaced by Euro to push into a high gear, the single currency or of
symbols in Athens, Tuesday, May 2, 2017. The eurozone economy has been expanding steadily
since 2013 but has failed to push into a high gear, largely because it battled with sky-high debts largely because it battled the wider European Union
in many countries, notably Greece. with sky-high debts in many itself.
(AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) countries, notably Greece. There are hopes that the
PAN PYLAS the first quarter of the year expanded by a solid, if un- No country breakdown eurozone will pick up fur-
Associated Press and is widely expected to spectacular, quarterly rate was provided by Eurostat ther steam in the second
LONDON (AP) — The euro- pick up further steam in the of 0.5 percent in the first on Wednesday but surveys quarter following recent
zone, for so long a laggard months ahead. three months of the year. have shown that the recov- surveys indicating an up-
in the global economy, out- The single currency bloc The increase reported ery is becoming broader- tick in April, particularly in
paced the United States in of 19 European countries Wednesday by statistics based across sectors and France. q