EU gives Johnson a deadline for a solution to the Irish border issue

(Patria) – Following a recent visit to Luxembourg and a meeting with Jean-Claude Juncker, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been given a 14-day deadline to resolve the Irish border issue.

His visit is considered a political failure by most, as he did not come with concrete proposals for pressing issues such as the Irish border.

To this should be added the fact that Johnson did not appear at the joint press conference organized by the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, due to anti-Brexit protests in front of the government building.

The greatest concern for EU officials is the fact that, contrary to his claims and promises, Johnson has no concrete proposal – neither on the terms of Brexit nor on a solution for the Irish border.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Antti Rinne, Prime Minister of Finland, which currently holds the EU presidency, issued a joint statement to the media in Paris stating that they are 'concerned about the developments in Great Britain'.

Rinne said he was unaware of what Britain was proposing and that 'superficial discussions about negotiation proposals are irresponsible'. The Finnish Prime Minister stressed that Great Britain must have a written proposal by the end of September, 'otherwise it's over'.

The September 30 deadline puts additional pressure on Johnson ahead of the Conservative Party conference just a day later, where he will most likely face criticism from party colleagues due to the EU's stance on the Irish border.  

The outgoing President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, expressed doubt about the possibility of reaching an agreement on the Irish border by October 31, given the conflicting views of the EU and the British government in this regard.

At the same time, Johnson also met with the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, on Wednesday, who informed him that any agreement must be approved by both the House of Commons and the European Parliament, with 'parliamentary analysis being essential', likely alluding to the impracticality of Johnson's decision to suspend parliament.