09/02/2018 Politics Europe

Now on BBC News, Politics Europe.

Hello and welcome to Politics

Europe, your regular guided to the

top stories in Brussels and

Strasbourg. On today's programme: As

the Brexit Secratary accuses the

European Union of discourteous

language, will the government get

the frictionless trade with Europe

they want after Brexit if we're not

in the customs union?

Angela Merkel does a deal with her

Socialist rivals to form a coalition

five months after the German

elections, but how stable will her

new government be? And how should

Brussels' new top Euro grant be

chosen, we investigate the process.

And has the European Parliament

voted to abolish summertime? All

that to come and more in the next

half an hour and joining me for all

of it is the Mirror's associate

editor and Camilla comedy of the

Express but first here's our guide

to the latest from Europe in 60

seconds. Turns out it's not just the

Brits who like to talk weather, much

of Europe has faced freezing

temperatures with Parisians even

skiing down Montmartre and snowfall

shutting down the Eiffel Tower.

Frosty relations seem to have thawed

in Germany as the country looks set

to emerge from months of political

deep-freeze with Angela Merkel's

conservatives finally agreeing a

coalition deal with the centre-left

Social Democrats. The European

Parliament voted against proposals

to create a backdrop and European

MEPs that would have allowed a vote

in Finland or Spain to be

represented by the same MEP,

delivering a blow to Macron's plans

to transform EU democracy. The

European Parliament also voted to

remove one of its vice presidents

after he sparked outrage by

comparing a fellow Polish MEP to a

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

collaborator. The European

Commission bigwig Jean-Claude

Juncker on the other hand is clearly

feeling coming when he ruffled the

hair of his chief Brexit negotiator

ahead of a Strasbourg debate on the

future of Europe. Let's talk about

Germany and the coalition that may

or may not be secured, what do you

think will happen?

I think she will

be but she's given a lot of ground,

the SDP, which didn't do well in the

election, are extracting their price

and she is and what she was. She's

still Chancellor but she's not as

commanding, all political careers

have to end in failure at some time

and you can feel she's in a much

later state. But I wouldn't write

her off.

The polls say she's still

in a relatively strong position.

Her

rather than the party but she isn't

as strong as she once but it will

still be Macron in France and her in

Germany calling the main shots and

we will know that when redo the

negotiations.

If the coalition goes

ahead with the Labour Party in

Germany, and the members have to

vote on that, where does it leave

the ADF party, the far right group,

within the Bundestag that secured

many seats in the election?

It still

leaves them knocking on the door and

I think they are still a threat and

I think Merkel has had a wake-up

call as far as the electorate is

concerned that some of her policies

haven't been popular. It's a massive

concession they've lost the finance

ministry to the coalition partners

and looking forward to Brexit,

thinking psychologically, will

Merkel be thinking having gone

through this tussle to try to secure

an agreement that she has comprised

so much that she will get tough on

the UK when it comes to the EU? Who

knows what her state of mind is but

there's a bit of irony about her

having a go at Theresa May not being

able to make up her mind couple of

weeks ago when she's herself in this

hugely precarious position.

But

Germany often goes through months of

decision making when it comes to

coalitions, it is unusual to go

along for this long and struggle in

the way she has to secure a

coalition, has a weakened Germany's

position broadly in the EU?

I'm not

sure it has. Germany is such an

industrial economic powerhouse

still, such a large country and the

additional member system, part PR,

we're one of the countries that

imposed it after the Second World

War, it works towards coalitions but

it is who is in that coalition. It's

taken longer than before, it took

some time anyway, but the Germans

work these things through but you

just feel that she herself isn't a

commanding figure but I think paired

to Theresa May I think Theresa May

would love to be in Merkel's

position.

I think they are both from

the conservative background, they've

a lot in common, they both have

religious fervour about them, they

cut a similar figure in terms of

being isolated on the world stage.

It's interesting, maybe they should

get together over a coffee.

On that,

we will move on! The second stage of

Brexit negotiations with the EU have

begun with talks moving onto the

transition stage. On Sunday, the

government confirmed that we are

categorically leaving the customs

union and it is not our policy to

stay in a customs union. Visiting

London on Monday, chief EU

negotiator Michel Barnier responded

by saying:

Adding that:

It's still unclear whether the UK

will stay in the customs union and

the single market during any

transition period. A leaked EU draft

of the withdrawal agreement

suggested the UK's access to the

single market would be restricted

during the transition phase if

there's a dispute after Brexit.

Brexit Secratary David Davis the EU

of using discourteous language in

the document and Brexiteers claim

continued membership of the customs

union and single market would render

Britain a vassal state. Remainers

and some business groups have called

for urgent action from government to

address the uncertainty with the

British Chambers of Commerce this

week that their patience is wearing

thin. We're joined now from

Amsterdam by the Dutch MEP Paul Tang

who earlier this week described

Theresa May's Brexit strategy as

stupidity. From Brussels by the

Conservative MP Dan Dalton. Welcome

to both of you. Paul Tang first of

all, do you regret calling Theresa

May's strategy on Brexit stupidity?

Well, no. I think it is still

stupid. There are huge problems with

exiting not the EU but the customs

union. The customs unions will lead

to a hard border, leaving the

customs union will lead to a hard

border between Ireland and Northern

Ireland, that has been an issue

before. Moreover, it will hamper the

trade and transport of goods and it

will take a big swing at the

factories in England. It will hit

the blue-collar workers that still

work in factories. They are the ones

that play and I think they're

stupid, are they the ones to pay for

these ideological choices?

Dan

Dalton, what was your response to

hearing that language about the

strategy and do you think the

Conservative government should keep

some sort of customs union

relationship on the table?

No, I

think there's a misunderstanding

about the customs union because it

is often portrayed as if staying in

the customs union when leaving the

EU is the status quo and it isn't.

What it would mean is the day we

left the EU but stayed in the

customs union, we would lose trade

access to all the countries the EU

has done trade deals with around the

rest of the world in addition to not

being able to do trade deals are

self. So staying in the customs

union would mean an EU only trade

policy, there is no professional

agreement with any other company and

we wouldn't be up to get one so the

only option frankly for the UK is to

leave the customs union despite the

troubles, there is the only option

on the table.

Paul Tang, do you

agree we would lose access to any

third country agreements that have

been made with the EU, we would be a

vassal state?

Know because I think

the new trade agreements are not

about the trade and transport of

goods, they are about services, much

more important and growing part of

the economy. This is what is at

stake for the future relation. I

think Great Britain after exiting

the UK can make trade agreements

especially on services. But coming

back one moment, we think that

Turkey and the EU are not best

friends, right? But Turkey is still

part of the customs union and that's

an economic reason. This is a way to

trade and transport goods.

Dan, is it your understanding that

Britain remains in the customs union

during the transition period?

It hasn't been fully discussed. The

government has certainly said it

needs to address the issue I just

talked about, i.e. Losing access to

third countries for our exports.

Are you saying like the

international trade Minister earlier

this week that the government still

hasn't got a position on whether

Britain stays in the customs union

despite the fact David Davis has

said we will remain on the same

terms during that implementation

period?

I think you sort of answer

the question yourself.

Can you say

it for us, are we going to stay in

the customs union?

We will stay on

the same terms as currently but we

need to address this issue, which is

the key issue that we suddenly lose

access to all our export markets for

those that countries that have done

deals with the EU and that's the

issue David Davis is trying to

address and needs to be addressed in

the midocean Asians. If we get that

then I suggest we will be staying in

for the transition.

-- negotiations.

Your position, I take this is a

negotiation, it still hasn't been

cleared up whether Britain has

access to the countries that have

made agreements outside the EU, but

the British government position in

the transition that Britain would

remain in the customs union?

I'm not

a spokesman for the British

government but my understanding is

if we can address this issue with

regards to those third countries and

also the ability to do our own trade

deals as well then as I understand

it the government is open for

staying in for that period providing

those provisos are met.

Paul Tang,

isn't that the point, this is a

negotiation so whatever's been said

by Michel Barnier when he says the

decision the UK will leave the

single market and customs union will

mean border checks at the Irish

frontier is his negotiating

position, it doesn't mean it is

fact?

No, I would say it is logic. I

haven't seen the alternative for the

border between Ireland and Northern

Ireland. I'm not sure you have heard

it, I haven't heard it. The customs

union is the option on the table and

I wouldn't throw that option away if

I were Great Britain. So it's not

just a matter of negotiation, it's

also a matter of logic. By the way,

just look at a map. You can try to

agree new trade agreements but let's

face it, the UK and the EU are

pretty close geographically. We are

a logical trading partner so the

first priority should be, especially

if you want to protect jobs and

industry, find a trade agreement

with the EU.

You said, Dan, that you're not a

spokesperson for the British

government, are you happy with the

government's negotiating position?

Yeah, I think the government has

been very clear from the word go

that we want to leave...

Your answer

slightly led me to believe that the

UK government hasn't been very clear

because you don't seem to be sure

about what the position is?

I'm very clear on the position, I'm

just saying I'm not representing the

British Government, I'm a

Conservative MEP from the government

party but I'm not privy to

negotiations but my understanding is

clear that the government position

is we would leave the customs union

and single market and we would have

a frictionless trade partnership

with the EU.

Is the right thing,

Paul Tang, to use language to make

Britain get punished if, as far as

the EU is concerned, the UK doesn't

stick to the letter of the

transition agreement, that somehow

restrictions would be placed on

Britain in terms of access to the

single market. Does that help smooth

the way to successful negotiations?

Know, normally it doesn't. I know

how words from Barnier are perceived

in the UK. That is unfortunate. It's

also in the perception I would say.

I don't think that the EU is

threatening but it's pointing out

the options that are on the table

and personally I don't think the

British Government has been clear on

that. I would love the British

Government to be clear. It never

ceases to amaze me that the British

government seems more divided than

the 27 other states.

Right, you say that, but does Michel

Barnier really now speak for the

entire European Union? Oh, I think

we have lost... We've got you back,

can you still hear me, Paul Tang?

Yeah, I can hear you.

We lost you

momentarily, we've got you back. Are

the big question, you say Britain is

more divided than the EU 27, but

does Michel Barnier speak for the

Netherlands in terms of the draft EU

text? Can we really imagine a state

where the Netherlands would want to

put up barriers to trade with the

UK? They don't want to make it more

difficult, do they?

There will be different in that they

have been excluded by the British

government. I expect there be

differences but we don't see a

difference is it you cannot cherry

pick. That is the fear that keeps

the EU 27 together. But when there

are real choices on the table, I

expect there will be some kind of

deficient between the EU 27.

Listening they're to Dan Sultan,

what is your impression of this

seemingly confusion over whether

Britain is going to remain in the

customs union?

It was made clear

that we would be leaving the single

market and the customs union. What

is she going to do? Stowing -- going

and briefing against Hammond and

others before she has a Cabinet

consensus only then to face more

counter briefing...

But we have

ready head David Davis saved will be

on terms.

This is what is confusing

because David Davis... And this is

why we have reason mocks... There is

acclaimed David Davis has lost

control to Lee Robbins who seems to

be briefing he does want us to stay

in the customs union. There is a

problem with the ad men of this

process.

Yes. If it was only about

admen. -- admen. -- admin. Is it

about using the sort of language

that David Davis used as

discourteous, that this is them

trying to exert political pressure?

Of course, the 27 are looking after

their interests as the UK are

supposed to be. I think the current

policy is the national interest but

that is their attempt. It is clear

as a drunken mass or in a bar after

midnight. What is actually

happening. Theresa May have a

warring Cabinet, a warring parties.

She might think is she knows what

she wants but she can't get it which

is why we are in this ridiculous row

about what we are asking for in the

transition period and if we don't

know what we are asking for, how can

we get it?

We will find out. Now,

the ship its candidate process. --

Schpitzen. It is about choosing

your's top bureaucrat.

When

Jean-Claude Juncker comes to

Strasberg, he sits here. He got his

job through the lead candidate

system which it says the European

Commission president should be the

person put forward by the political

grouping that does best at the

European Parliament elections. In

2014, that was the centre right EP

peak, yorker was their man and

that's why this is now his chair. --

ETP. Jean-Claude Juncker. It was

opposed to -- by David Cameron. Now

MPs say they would reject anyone who

wasn't a Schpitzen Candidat.

We will

not accept anyone as lead candidate

of the Democratic Party. And can

bring about a majority in the new

elected European Parliament.

The

Liberals tried to go further this

week. A directly elected president

rather than someone selected by

party bosses like last time.

They

were never relate it by citizens of

Europe. -- never elected. They were

just appointed will stop in this

case, we have Jean-Claude Juncker

who was appointed by the ETP. They

were the biggest party. We would get

away from that and people would stop

blaming us for democratic

deficiencies if they can actually

pick up the list and vote for a

person.

Others think it should be

jumped altogether.

It is taking away

some member states' power. This is a

wrong message. We avoided the system

to get completely in 2014.

Now the

debate moves from Parliament's

corners to a meeting of EU leaders

at the end of the month where there

is a split between opponents and

supporters but the Croatian Prime

Minister who I chanced upon doing a

bit of gladhanding.

In 2014 when I

was leading the list of my political

party and my political family in

Croatia. It was a cohesive element

for the elections. I feel that we

should continue with this concept at

these elections. I supported it

again today.

Who is this? Somebody

who wants to be the Schpitzen

Candidat. Do you think is it a good

idea?

Brexit, Brexit.

Sticking to

their day job for now.

It is all

about Brexit. We are talking about

the Schpitzen Candidat today. I hope

you can hear me. How much backing of

this have? This idea of the

Parliament or the biggest party

having a say?

They clearly support

the idea. They stand behind the

idea. It is a way to strengthen

democracy in the EU. The main

challenge is the European countries

because a lot of them think it would

reduce their powers. They have drawn

a lot of criticism in the EU. --

Spitzenkandidat. It is not necessary

and far from the EU's concerns of

the EQ.

David Cameron was unhappy

about the idea of Jean-Claude

Juncker, for example, becoming

president. Didn't want to lose the

power that nationstates had in

deciding what influencing that

decision. When you say people are

against it, who else is against the

idea of the Parliament having more

influence?

The most surprising

country against the Spitzenkandidat

is France. It is surprising because

a Emmanuel Macron, the French

President, has always declared and

supported an election process that

would be more democratic and he has

always been very keen to make Europe

much more transparent and

democratic. It is surprising from

him. His position is that the

Spitzenkandidat would favour the

party in the European Parliament

that has won the most seats which

means there EPP. We know, he never

said it publicly, but clearly we

know he doesn't like that because it

is not his party.

Funny that. All

editions always like an idea unless

it doesn't go the way they would

like to -- politicians. What about

directly appointing the president --

electing the president?

It might

happen some day but clearly not now.

The Spitzenkandidat itself is

already an improvement because the

so many years it was decided among

EU leaders in backroom deals and the

Parliament wasn't involved. It is a

big step forward that the Parliament

could have the right at some point

to elect the candidate. Maybe in it

you years, we would have an elected

president.

Thank you very much. Now,

did MEPs vote to abolish summertime

this week? Well, no. But they did us

the European Commission to consult

on stopping the practice of changing

the clocks between the summer and

winter months. Currently the EU

decides when the clock should go

forward and when they go back. One

Italian MEP thought the whole thing

was a waste of time and money.

TRANSLATION: Here we are talking

about whether Ronald we should

abolish this. What if we move the

fingers of the clock in our back and

that would mean saving, for European

citizens, at Tally and citizens, a

saving of 150,000 euros which we

could then give back to citizens. --

Italian.

Your thoughts?

I would love

to do it. It comes up every now and

again in this country. I can see the

argument for more sunlight in the

morning. It is a pain.

What do you

think?

My children, three under

nine, are already wired into the

city -- wide into the system. I can

tell we need the clocks go forward

to keep them back in bed a bit

longer. We are wired to the system.

I don't think people take kindly to

being tech -- dictated to by that

EU.

Do it themselves. I have had

Brexit extremists saying just do it.

I like the way you both got in your

little calling cards. Brexit

extremists. Consultation, do you

think it will actually happen?

A

consultation, God.

On that basis, I

will consult on both of you. It's

the end. That is it for now. Thank

you for our guests. From all of us