In her first foreign visits, a week since taking over as Britain’s premier, May will plunge straight into laying out the Brexit groundwork in talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande. Germany has always viewed the United Kingdom as a close and valued ally, both politically and economically, and Chancellor Angela Merkel, who Mrs May meets today, has already said she does not want to see Britain punished.
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Speaking ahead of travelling to Berlin, the Prime Minister said: “I am determined that Britain will make a success of leaving the European Union and that’s why I have made a decision to visit Berlin and Paris so soon after taking office”.
Both leaders are under domestic pressure ahead of tough elections next year and are expected to stick to the current European Union mantra of no formal negotiations until Britain officially triggers the Article 50 exit process.
Britain was due to take it from July 1 until December 31, 2017.Belgium is among the European Union nations that have been pushing strongest for Britain to trigger article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, which would set in motion the negotiations for the Brexit divorce proceedings.
The meeting comes days after the 59-year-old Prime Minister set her stamp on the new government by shaking up almost the entire set of ministerial portfolios.
Both Scotland and Northern Ireland, constituent countries within the United Kingdom, voted in the referendum to remain in the European Union, and the vote to leave has revived talk in both countries of leaving the UK instead.
May was appointed to Britain’s top job a week ago after David Cameron resigned following the country’s vote to quit the European Union, leaving her the hard task of uniting the Conservative party and negotiating an exit from the bloc.
Ms May will then travel to Paris for meetings with French president Francois Hollande on Thursday.
The new UK Prime Minister also announced that Britain would relinquish its upcoming EU Council Presidency in light of the referendum result.
The prime minister has said she does not expect to commence formal negotiations before the end of the year as she consults with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments as well as business, industry and other stakeholders about the way ahead.
May replied: “Yes.” She added: “And I have to say to the honourable gentleman the whole point of a deterrent is that our enemies need to know that we would be prepared to use it, unlike some suggestions that we could have a deterrent but not actually be willing to use it, which seem to come from the Labour party frontbench”.
May said she wanted to send a message to Britain’s European allies that “these relationships have been vital in the past and they will be vital in the future”.
In remarks released by Downing street before the meeting, May said it was up to all her ministers to ensure the process went well.
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The prospect of Belgium holding the EU presidency chair while Britain’s negotiations to exit from the European Union may not be welcomed in London where Belgium is perceived to be one of the strongest proponents of European integration and likely to take a tough stance against Britain in the forthcoming negotiations. “But we also negotiate the right deal, and the best deal for the trade of goods and services for the British people”.
