EU media react to May’s stance on EU free movement

European media, including British, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovak and Estonian media, comment on the information revealed by The Daily Telegraph, that British MPs expect Prime Minister Theresa May to announce an end to the free movement of European workers on the day she triggers Article 50 of the Treaty on the European Union. She is expected to announce that EU citizens will no longer have the right to stay in the UK permanently, at the same time that negotiations begin for the country to leave the EU, even though the British government refutes this information.
The Telegraph wrote that a cut-off date will be announced, where anyone from the EU who came to live and work in the UK before that date, will have their rights protected as long as UK citizens living in Europe are granted the same assurances.

The front page of the Daily Express reports that Mrs May could face a row with the European Union over these plans. The paper cites an unnamed government source as having said: “We have had suggestions, that the European Commission might attempt to force us to protect everyone who arrives up to the moment of departure […] We could end up with half of Romania and Bulgaria coming here if we wait that long.” It has been suggested that any person arriving after the United Kingdom has formally stated its intent to leave the EU will no longer have the “automatic right to settle” in the country.

Slovak media highlight that the measure would affect Slovaks planning to travel to the UK. However they stress, that the rights of those already living in the UK, should be secured, as long as other Member States grant British citizens the same assurance. Korzár quotes an unnamed source within the British government as saying that the measure will help protect the UK against migrants from Bulgaria and Romania in particular.

In a commentary for aktuality.sk, Lukáš Krivošík speculates about the possible consequences of Brexit and wonders what would happen if all Slovaks were to return to Slovakia. He considers that there would probably be a revolution if Slovaks are not able to find a job abroad.

TV station ČT1 considers that the measure will also influence Czech citizens, while Croatia’s Poslovni dnevnik reports that the Polish Ministry of Development expects between 100,000 and 200,000 Poles living in the UK to return home as a result of Brexit.

Bulgaria’s Standart Daily comments, that it is not clear whether the British government’s plan violates EU agreements guaranteeing the freedom of movement. Bulgarian MEP Andrey Novakov (NPP) said, that if the UK were to take such measures, it would have to expect reciprocal actions from the EU.

The Irish Examiner reports that Britain’s 60 billion euro exit bill could disrupt exit negotiations between the country and the EU. British economist Ruth Gregory at Capital Economics in London said, the 60 billion euros that the UK may owe the EU could eat into the time left for the UK to strike a new trade deal. “The UK committed itself to financial responsibilities that have to be honoured completely,” says a source at the Commission about this bill, quoted by De Morgen.

Meanwhile, Svenska Dagbladet reports that Prime Minister May has warned that the EU security cooperation will seriously suffer if the UK gets a “punishing settlement” in the upcoming Brexit negotiations. However, British MEP Claude Moraes (S&D) said that it is not reasonable for the UK to threaten to cut off security ties with the EU, that are used to combat terrorism.

Cécile Ducourtieux writes in an analysis in Le Monde that since the Brexit vote, the EU has shown an unusual and welcome united front. However, Brexit negotiations have not started yet and experts and diplomats privately fear, as President Juncker does, that the EU27’s united front might crack when negotiations really start. Ireland, taxation (notably for multinational companies) and the free movement of EU citizens are potential points of contention, she adds.

Former Commissioner Chris Patten writes in an editorial in Dagens Nyheter that there exists no clear plan for how to go through Brexit. Latvijas Radio 1 reports that the European Commission intends to conduct Brexit negotiations with the British government in Brussels, rather than alternating with London.

Ethnos comments that all parties are trying to avoid focusing on the problems that are expected to come up due to close relations between the two sides in the financial sector. Editor Thomas Lauritzen writes in Politiken that the Brexit process will be extremely complicated. During this process, the future of millions of citizens in both the UK and the EU will be decided. Furthermore, the EU will probably require the UK to pay large sums of money.

Maaseudun Tulevaisuus writes that the UK is not the first entity to leave the European community. The first was Greenland in 1984. Mr Mininnguaq Kleist, the Head of Greenland’s Representation to the EU, believes that the UK is wise to first negotiate the split before defining the new relationship.

For his part, Enrico Franceschini writes in La Repubblica that Scotland could call for a new referendum on secession in two weeks’ time.