Theresa May’s 'friendly dinner' with Emmanuel Macron shrouded in secrecy amid Brexit push
2 min read
A meeting between Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron remains shrouded in secrecy.
The pair convened at President Macron’s summer retreat on the Côte d’Azur yesterday for a discussion about Brexit, with Ms May cutting short her holiday to Lake Garda in Italy for the occasion.
Ms May’s arrival was live-streamed on Mr Macron’s Twitter account, accompanied by a caption anticipating a “friendly dinner” between the two leaders.
A short, inaudible video of the meeting was released, which shows the two leaders nodding and smiling.
But exactly what was discussed at the meeting remains a mystery, with no press conference or statement released from a summit dubbed a “cry for help” by the French press.
A source in Mr Macron’s office told The Guardian that Ms May was going to discuss “London’s position on the Brexit talks and its future relations with the EU”.
“Since May was finishing her vacation in Italy we proposed hosting her here,” the source said. “It will be the occasion to clarify this proposal and discuss the political context.”
The private, four-course dinner was attended by Mr Macron, his wife Brigitte, Ms May and her husband Philip, at the 13th-century Fort Brégançon.
The meeting comes amid a flurry of diplomatic efforts by British ministers to sell the Prime Minister's controversial Chequers deal.
The European Commission has reacted coolly to the plans for a shared customs territory, and the summit with Mr Macron was seen as a chance to persuade the French President to break ranks with the rest of the European Union.
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