“We can only make a deal about Britain’s future relationship to the EU once all questions about the terms of its exit can be clarified to a satisfying degree. Crucially, the German chancellor said that the financial commitments Britain had entered into would “extend into the period after Britain’s exit” from the bloc. In return, she added, Germany would be prepared to make a “fair offer” to British citizens living in Germany. These suggested that there needed to be only broad agreement that Britain would pay a settlement before talks on trade could begin. But it is increasingly clear that this will leave little room for future haggling in the eyes of Europe’s most powerful leader.

Source: The Guardian April 27, 2017 09:21 UTC