German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Germany is well-equipped for all Brexit scenarios, a government official said on Tuesday, adding that a swift Brexit deal would be best both for businesses and citizens.
The official also said significant progress had been made in negotiations on Britain's looming exit from the European Union and added that a so-called "backstop" for the Irish border in the exit agreement needed to be legally watertight.
The official ruled out a Brexit agreement without a solution for the Irish border.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's Bavarian ally said Monday that the “grand coalition” partners would continue to work together despite historical election losses in regional polls on Sunday."Despite some comments made yesterday, we will play our part, so that the grand coalition can carry on its work in a stable way," Christian Social Union leader and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told a news conference Monday.The Christian Social Union (CSU) suffered a heavy blow on Sunday in regional elections in Bavaria, which it has governed almost continuously since 1946, triggering speculations on the future of Merkel-led federal coalition government.Humiliating losses in Bavarian election shake Merkel's coalitionAccording to the preliminary official results, the CSU has won 37.2 percent, a sharp fall from the 47.7 percent the party scored in the last election in 2013.Merkel’s other coalition partner in Berlin, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), also suffered heavy losses on Sunday, drawing only 9.7 percent of the vote, less than half of its showing of 20.6 percent five years ago.Seehofer said Monday that the CSU would now seek to form a stable coalition government in Bavaria and hold talks with all parties except for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).The CSU apparently had two major coalition government options, either the Green Party or the Free Voters of Bavaria.Merkel’s ally suffers defeat in Bavarian electionThe environmentalist, pro-immigration Green Party scored a record 17.5 percent, up from 9.8 percent in the last election, making it the second-largest group in the state parliament.The moderate right Free Voters of Bavaria came in third with 11.6 percent.Sunday’s election saw the far-right, Islamophobic AfD win about 10 percent of the vote, thereby entering the Bavarian parliament for the first time.
Germany: Merkel ally vows 'grand coalition' is stable
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Monday he hoped reason would prevail in final talks to secure a deal on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union."We are ready for all possibilities.... but we think that, even if time is tight, it is possible to reach a deal between the (European) Commission and Britain and we will put in every effort in the coming days," he told reporters before a meeting of foreign ministers in London."I hope that, at the end, reason has the upper hand and that we are in a position in the home straight to be able to seal a deal," he continued. Humiliating losses in Bavarian election shake Merkel's coalition
Germany's Maas hopes reason prevails to reach Brexit deal