Avoid 'illusions' on Brexit

Germany's Angela Merkel yesterday told Britain it should have no "illusions" it would retain the rights of an EU member after Brexit, hardening the tone ahead of a summit of the remaining 27 nations.

"A third-party state will not have the same rights or even superior rights to a member state," the German chancellor told parliament two days before the meeting in Brussels.

"This may sound self-evident, but I have to say this clearly because some in Britain seem to have illusions on this point," she said. "That would be a waste of time."

The leaders of the other 27 EU nations have stressed a united stance as they plan to meet tomorrow to set down the bloc's "red lines" -- although the talks will not begin until June, after Britain's election.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman, in a brief reaction, said only that London was approaching the negotiations "in a constructive spirit and with enormous goodwill".

The EU has toughened its strategy, making new demands over financial services, immigration and the bills Britain must settle before ending its 44-year-old membership of the bloc.

Britain will also be required to give EU citizens permanent residency after living there for five years, in a challenge for May's Conservative government, which has vowed to limit immigration.

The EU's latest draft negotiating guidelines, agreed on Monday, seek to ensure Britain does not get a better deal outside the bloc than inside.

May, after starting the Article 50 process of leaving the EU last month, is seeking to shore up her mandate for the Brexit talks in a snap election on June 8.

Polls suggest her Conservatives will return with an increased majority.

A new survey, by YouGov for The Times newspaper, meanwhile for the first time signalled more people now believe the Brexit vote was a mistake, by a 45-43 percent margin.

May hosted a working dinner on Wednesday with key EU Brexit negotiators, including European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

EU ministers were meanwhile meeting in Luxembourg to prepare the ground work for tomorrow's meeting.

"It seems that at the moment we are completely united on everything," said Maltese Vice Premier Louis Grech, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU. "Naturally we have to protect the EU's interests."

May has committed to pulling Britain out of Europe's single market to end free movement of EU citizens into Britain.

Earlier this week, a German senior finance official rejected this demand, in an interview with AFP.

"What won't work is having access to the internal market without freedom of movement" for EU citizens, said Jens Spahn, state secretary at the finance ministry.

"Or access for UK financial institutions to the European financial market if at the same time there is rampant deregulation in London.