Mark Rutte: ‘Important questions remain’ on Johnson’s Brexit plan

Dutch prime minister spoke with his UK counterpart on Saturday.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte remains unconvinced on U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan after the two leaders spoke Saturday.

In a tweet Saturday afternoon following a phone call with Johnson, Rutte suggested the U.K. prime minister’s proposal to replace the controversial Irish backstop mechanism in a Brexit deal is not yet acceptable to EU leaders.

“Important questions remain about the British proposals,” the Dutch prime minister said. “There is a lot of work to be done ahead of [the EU Council] on October 17/18.”

Rutte’s remarks add to a long list of criticisms that top Brussels officials and ambassadors have expressed since Johnson unveiled his proposal on Wednesday.

EU leaders will meet for a European Council summit on October 17.

Officials in Brussels have suggested the proposals may be part of Johnson’s positioning for an election, as the U.K. prime minister continues to maintain the only options are his new proposal or a no-deal Brexit.

Late on Friday, Johnson tweeted: “New deal or no deal – but no delay. #GetBrexitDone #LeaveOct31.”

New deal or no deal – but no delay. #GetBrexitDone #LeaveOct31 🇬🇧

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) October 4, 2019

That’s despite legislation passed by British MPs obliging the prime minister to apply to Brussels for an extension if no deal is reached by October 19.

Talks between London and Brussels on Johnson’s proposals are set to continue Monday, amid reports the EU rejected a request for discussions over the weekend.

The Guardian on Saturday quoted a senior EU diplomat as stating: “If we held talks at the weekend, it would look like these were proper negotiations. The truth is we’re still a long way from that. We need to work out quickly whether there is the opportunity to close that gap.”

A European Commission spokeswoman said Friday: “We will meet again on Monday to give the UK another opportunity to present its proposals in detail,” according to the Guardian. The spokeswoman said the proposals did not “provide a basis for concluding an agreement.”

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