French deputy minister in charge of European Affairs Nathalie Loiseau
The European Union will not accept a temporary measure to solve the issue of the Irish border in Brexit negotiations, France's Europe minister Nathalie Loiseau said on Sunday.
Britain has said it could accept a longer post-Brexit transition period if the EU drops its proposals for the Irish backstop - an insurance policy to ensure there will be no return to a hard border on the island of Ireland. Britain has said any such extension must be time-limited.
"We have to have a definitive answer or at least no temporary measures which disappear and we don't know what to do after that," Loiseau told BBC TV.
"This is something that has to be fixed by London ... We are waiting for a workable solution coming from London."
Tens of thousands of supporters of the European Union began marching through London on Saturday as part of what organisers say will be the largest ever demonstration to demand that the British government holds a public vote on the terms of Brexit.The protesters waved the blue and gold flag of the EU and held up "Bollocks to Brexit" banners under sunny skies to call for another referendum on the eventual deal on how Britain will leave the world's biggest trading bloc.The march comes as pressure builds on Prime Minister Theresa May over her negotiating strategy with just over five months until Britain is due to leave. There is, so far, no divorce deal and some rebels in May's Conservative Party have threatened to vote down a deal if she clinches one.James McGrory, one of the organisers of the march, said the public should have the chance to change their minds because the decision will impact their lives for generations.Video: London protesters call for vote on final Brexit deal"People think the Brexit negotiations are a total mess, they have no faith in the government to deliver the promises that were made, partly because they cannot be delivered," he said.At the march, demonstrators carried placards saying "Brexit is pants" and "time for an EU turn." Members of parliament from all the main political parties are set to join the demonstration.Organisers estimate that more than 100,000 people will take part. Crowds will gather near Hyde Park and pass Downing Street and finish outside of parliament.The 2016 referendum saw 52 percent vote in favour of leaving the European Union. But the past two years have been politically fraught as the government has struggled to agree on a plan and there are fears that Britain leave the bloc without a deal.Ireland insists on Brexit 'backstop'Some opinion polls have shown a slight shift in favour of remaining in the European Union, but there has yet to be a decisive change in attitudes and many in Britain say they have become increasingly bored by Brexit.The prime minister has repeatedly ruled out holding a second referendum. The opposition Labour party said last month they open to a second referendum with the option of staying in the bloc in certain circumstances.Brexit supporters say a second referendum would trigger a major constitutional crisis.Germany looking to coordinate global minimum corporate tax"We had a vote, we voted to leave, the idea to have a second referendum would be incredibly damaging," said Richard Tice, Vice-Chairman of Leave Means Leave, which wants a clean break with the EU."People need to be under no illusions as to how people feel about what is a significant potential for a total betrayal of democracy in this country."
Thousands take to streets in London demanding second Brexit vote
The European Union's executive has approved Greece's first post-bailout draft budget without requiring the implementation of legislated pension cuts, the Greek prime minister said on Saturday.Athens emerged from its final international bailout in August and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has pushed to rescind unpopular pension cuts slated for January as part of austerity measures, claiming there is ample fiscal space to do so.Trailing the conservative opposition in polls, Tsipras is counting on a less austere budget to win over voters next year, when his term expires. "The European Commission approved the Greek budget without pension cuts after eight years of austerity," Tsipras said, calling the development a "success".There was no immediate comment from the EU's executive.The government has argued it does not need to implement the pension cuts agreed with creditors, as it aims to outperform on primary surplus targets for a fifth straight year.Greece has promised its euro zone lenders and the International Monetary Fund it will achieve a 3.5 percent of GDP primary budget surplus this year, excluding debt servicing outlays.In its draft 2019 budget it targets a surplus of 4.14 percent of GDP next year. If it does not apply the pension cuts it puts the figure at 3.56 percent.The draft budget projects economic growth will pick up to 2.5 percent in 2019 from an expected 2.1 percent this year.The government is now expected to submit its final draft next month and put it on a parliamentary vote in December.Greek PM rules out snap polls after foreign minister quitsGreek population may shrink by 1.4M by 2035: Report
Greek PM says EU Commission approved Greek budget without pension cuts
European Union and the United Nations have expressed support for the Sochi agreement between Russia and Turkey on the stabilization of Syria, the EU said on Friday.Following a meeting of Special UN Syria Envoy Staffan de Mistura and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Brussels, a statement said the representatives "discussed the latest developments in the Syria crisis, particularly the situation in Idlib."According to the statement, Mistura and Mogherini highlighted "the need for a full implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding that was reached by the Presidents of Russia and of Turkey."Germany hopeful of Syria summit in IstanbulIt said: "Furthermore, they stressed the importance of the establishment of the constitutional committee in order to restart the process for a credible, political transition in Syria.""In particular, the High Representative and the Special Envoy discussed ways in which the European Union can support this process, including in the run up to the Brussels III Conference next spring.Mogherini also expressed the full support of the EU for Mistura's work ahead of his visit to the Syrian capital Damascus, where he intends to advance preparations to convey the first meeting of the constitutional committee in November.Turkey opens vocational training school in SyriaFollowing a meeting in Russia’s port city of Sochi last month between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the two countries agreed to establish the Idlib demilitarized zone.Ankara and Moscow also signed a memorandum of understanding calling for the “stabilization” of Idlib's de-escalation zone, in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.Russia's Putin to discuss Syrian refugees at summit in Istanbul'Istanbul summit on Syria aimed at avoiding new humanitarian disaster'
EU, UN agree Sochi deal must be ‘fully implemented’