A ‘weak’ UK negotiating partner ‘bad’ for Brexit talks

May had called the snap election in an attempt to extend her majority and strengthen her position in Brexit negotiations.


A weak British negotiating partner would further complicate talks on the country’s exit from the European Union, a top EU official warned Friday after Britain’s election ended in a hung parliament.

“We need a government that is capable of action, which can negotiate Britain’s exit… the British need to negotiate their exit but with a weak negotiating partner, there is a danger that the talks are bad for both parties,” EU budget commissioner Guenther Oettinger told German radio.

British Prime Minister Theresa May had called the snap election in an attempt to extend her majority and strengthen her position in Brexit negotiations, but her gamble backfired spectacularly after she failed to win enough seats to form a Conservative government.

Oettinger said the EU “stands ready” for Brexit talks, “but the next few hours or days will indicate if the other negotiating party can even begin talks because without a government, there can be no negotiations.”

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