“Despite our efforts we are unable to reach an agreement now, but we can achieve 'sufficient progress' before the European Council on 15 December”. This was stated by the President of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker after meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May to seek an agreement on Britain's exit from the European Union. The two exponents presented themselves for a few minutes in the press room of the Commission. Juncker added that the discussions over the next few days "are the very latest discussions".
Previously the President of the European Council Donald Tusk he had already said on Twitter “encouraged after my phone call with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on the progress of the Brexit issue in Ireland. We are getting close to achieving sufficient progress at the December Summit“. In addition to Tusk, Varadkar spoke on the phone today with Juncker himself, before his working lunch with Theresa May. Varadkar said he was "surprised and disappointed" by the British government's inditeo march on the agreement on the statute of the Anglo-Irish border after Brexit which had been finalized with the EU: "The British government - he said - does not seem able to respect what has been concluded”.
In reality May was blocked by Northern Ireland unionist vetoes on the border statute and eventually Belfast blew up the deal. At least for now.
