BERLIN: Angela Merkel is expected to push David Cameron to spell out his negotiating position on the European Union when the leaders meet on Friday, as the main campaign calling on the UK to leave Brussels launched.
The German chancellor will hold wide-ranging talks with Cameron at the prime minister’s Chequers residence in the afternoon with signs that both the Germans and French are growing frustrated at the lack of precise details emerging from the British side.
They want the UK to be more specific over its demands for Cameron recommending Britain stay in the EU in the forthcoming referendum due to be held in 2016 or 2017.
Technical talks have been under way in Brussels, but the exact nature of the British plans have been held back by Cameron partly to get him past the Conservative conference this week.
Cameron’s negotiations have grown more complex due to the growing likelihood that either Theresa May or Boris Johnson, two possible contenders for the party leadership after Cameron, will decide to recommend a vote to leave. Both politicians left themselves with scope to make a dramatic move, but much will depend on the timing of the referendum, the trend in public opinion and the terms of Cameron’s renegotiation.
Merkel is keen for Britain to stay but it will be hard to dovetail the UK demands for a looser union with eurozone countries’ call for closer union to shore up the euro.
Coinciding with her visit, the well-funded Leave campaign launched on Friday morning, publishing an opinion poll showing 44% wanting to remain against 39% wanting to leave. The rival campaign to stay in the EU will launch on Monday.
Michael Gahrer, a member of Merkel’s CDU party, said it was in the interests of Germany and Europe as a whole that Britain stay in. “We are in a situation globally where we need Britain but we cannot construct an ever looser and ever looser union I think that would not be the right answer,” he said.
He added: “if there was too much repatriation of powers from Brussels, the single market would start to be dismantled.”
