Brexit speech of May – time to face reality
Today, in Florence, Theresa May will be giving a keynote speech on Brexit. According to the ‘Financial Times’, the UK government wants to pay the EU 20 billion euros for a transition period of two years after the Brexit. This amount is roughly equivalent to the net contribution of a two-year EU membership.
MEP Sven Giegold, financial and economic policy spokesperson of the Greens/EFA group comments on his expectations on the upcoming speech:
„Theresa May takes the first step of facing reality. May’s proposal for the transition period is a step in the right direction, but must not divert attention from the financial obligations that the UK has already made. Furthermore, a transition period comes with equal rights and equal obligations. There can be no special treatment for access to the internal market for Great Britain. May has to tell her citizens the plain truth. That means that her proposal must include the outstanding payments to Europe and should not give the impression that there is access to the internal market at special conditions. That includes paying the contributions to the EU budget, applying and enforcing all rules as well as the four fundamental freedoms including freedom of movement. This is the kind of truth and honesty British citizens never received from Brexiteers, but now could expect from their prime minister.“