The president of the European Commission has poured cold water on the possibility of a breakthrough in Brexit talks with Theresa May in Brussels.
The prime minister travelled to the EU capital on Wednesday night to meet Jean-Claude Juncker and try to convince the bloc to change the agreement to make it more palatable to Tory MPs.
Senior Tories were reportedly upbeat ahead of the meeting, trailing the prospect of the prime minister returning to London with concessions ¬– but the message was not matched by officials Brussels.
“I have great respect for Theresa May, for her courage and her assertiveness. We will have friendly talk tomorrow but I don’t expect a breakthrough,” Mr Juncker said ahead of the talks.
Asked about the visit a spokesperson for the European Commission told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday: “Each time that the prime minister expresses her wish to come we will always be happy to listen to her and see what she has to say.”
Following the meeting, the UK and EU leaders released a joint statement. It said the pair discussed what extra reassurances could be given to MPs, and “both reconfirmed their commitment to avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and to respect the integrity of the EU’s internal market and of the United Kingdom”.
